1878 Panoramic View of New Glasgow Map, created by Thaddeus Mortimer Fowler

This panoramic 1878 New Glasgow map stands as a remarkable artifact of late 19th-century cartographic artistry. Hand sketched in black-and-white, this bird’s-eye view illustration captures the New Glasgows’s buildings, streets, bridges, boats, the East River, and even includes a detailed reference list of local landmarks.  The map is not only a valuable genealogical and historical resource but also a testament to the era’s technical and artistic achievements in mapmaking.

The panoramic view is in an south-east direction looking from what is known locally as the West Side across the East River towards the downtown area. The top right of the image would be the area that most of us know as the Aberdeen Business area. It identifies several locations, such as the Jail, Market House, School Houses, Egerton House, American House, Stables, Churches, Foundries, Factories, Ship Yards and Railways.

It is important to distinguish the 1878 map from later panoramic maps of New Glasgow, such as the 1889 New Glasgow map by Duncan D. Currie, which is sometimes confused with Fowler’s work due to similar subject matter and style. The 1878 map is the earliest known panoramic depiction of New Glasgow and is unique in its artistic and historical context

This resource is particularly valuable for genealogists and local historians, as it provides interpretive commentary on the map’s features and landmarks.