Iowa History Daily: On February 10, 1890, historian and preeminent chronicler of early Iowa A.T. (Alfred Theodore) Andreas died. Known for his towering 1875 Illustrated Atlas of Iowa, even Iowans unfamiliar with the man would likely recognize his work.
Born in Amity, New York, Andreas moved to Dubuque, Iowa, during the 1850s where he taught school. Moving to Illinois in 1860, Andreas served the United States under General Sherman on the March to the Sea during the American Civil War. After the war he returned to Iowa and settled in Davenport.
Setting to work on a document which still serves scholars of Iowa today, Andreas compiled a massive tome complete with maps, illustrations of early Iowa, and brief histories covering every corner of the Hawkeye state. After the success of the “1875 A.T. Andreas Illustrated Historical Atlas of Iowa,” he went on to compile similar documents for other states including Minnesota and Indiana.
Later in life, Andreas founded the Western Historical Company to publish further works. A three-volume history of Chicago represents a notable achievement of the author’s late life. In 1975, the State Historical Society of Iowa re-released the A.T. Andreas Atlas of Iowa to share the author’s exceptional work with a new generation. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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