Alta Mining District 1873

24" x 36" print

This historic map shows Little Cottonwood Canyon, Alta City, and the mines surrounding the town. While detailed mine workings are not shown, major drain and access tunnels are. This map would have been used by brokers to buy and sell mines, claims, and other mining-related property. Note that elevation is shown with lines and shading, rather than topographic lines.

Cartographers lacked the easy surveying techniques we have today, often relying on triangulating various points on the map individually, thus making an accurate topographic map next to impossible. Furthermore, topographic maps were not well understood by the general public in the 1800s.

Reproduction.