Maps

Although the map itself is not dated, it appeared on page 96 in the 1881 edition of Higher Geography, published by D. Appleton and Company, New York (cover title, "Appleton's Standard Higher Geography"). China is colored pink. The capital of China, which today we spell in English as "Beijing," was previously spelled "Peking" and earlier as "Pekin." This map spells it "Pekin." Polly Bemis is listed in the 1880 United States census, which gives her birthplace as "Pekin."

See if you can find Pekin on this map!

Click map to enlarge.

Although the map itself is not dated, it appeared on page 61 in the 1881 edition of Higher Geography, published by D. Appleton and Company, New York (cover title, "Appleton's Standard Higher Geography").

When Polly Bemis first lived in Warren, it had a different name. That name was the same as a nearby state, which is the same as the nation's capital. What is that name?
Print this map, find the old name for Warren, Idaho, and circle it on your map.

Look for these Idaho towns on the map: Lewiston, Boise, Grangeville, Coeur d'Alene, Riggins, McCall. Circle the ones you can find on the map. The other towns are not on this map. Why not?

Click map to enlarge.

This map appeared in the Lewiston Morning Tribune on Aug. 23, 1936, section 2, page 4. It accompanied an article by Dr. H. L. Talkington titled, "Millions in Gold Dust Were Packed over Old Trail from Warren." In the 1860s and later it took about 13 days to travel from Lewiston to Warren, a distance of about 160 miles by trail. When the pack train operator took Polly from Portland to Warren, their route probably took them through Lewiston. The numbers on the map show where people spent the night. Usually they camped, because there weren't many hotels. Also, many Caucasian people were prejudiced against Chinese people and did not allow them to stay in hotels.

On the average, about how many miles could they travel in one day?

Click map to enlarge.