12mo. Folding map frontispiece with hand-coloring, engraved plates, 4pp. publisher's advertisements at rear. (Some occasional spotting and offsetting, light creasing to map). Original brown cloth gilt, stamped in blind (a touch of wear to spine ends, corners lightly bumped, some minor soiling). Provenance: V.J. Messinger (signature, Canton, Massachusetts, 1859); Dudley Bell Priester (1923-2017), Mississippi River collector and bibliographer (sold Bloomsbury, 20 November 2009, lot 77). FIRST EDITION, with descriptions of a variety of Mississippi Valley regions from Ferris' personal observations. Buck 565; Graff 1309; Sabin 24192, Wagner-Camp 274a.

[With:] [WALES, W.W., Publisher]. The Immigrant's Guide to Minnesota in 1856. By an Old Resident. St. Anthony, MN et al: W.W. Wales et al, 1856. 12mo. Engraved frontispiece, 3 woodcut plates and map; 11pp. publisher's advertisements at end. (Lacking folding map, some occasional spotting.) Original printed yellow wrappers (some soiling, fading, and minor chipping). Provenance: Sarah E. Foster (signature); Dudley Bell Priester (1923-2017), Mississippi River collector and bibliographer (sold Bloomsbury, 20 November 2009, lot 127). FIRST EDITION of one of the earliest guides to Minnesota, with extensive information about distances, towns, resources, and regional history to aid immigrants traveling to Minnesota in 1856. The wood-engraved map depicts Lake Minnetonka. Eberstadt 115-0719; Graff 2092; Howes M-644; Sabin 34366, 49253.