 Colorado Desert and Signal Mountain, California United States Pacific Railroad Exploration and Survey, 1856. Tinted lithograph, 6" x 9" In the 1850's the U.S. government ordered exploration and surveys done, primarily for the purpose of determining a route for a trans-continental railroad. (U.S. Pacific Railroad) As a part of this exploration a team of naturalists and artists accompanied the expedition, and their work was published as a part of the official report. |