This project is brought to you by the Island Register & Dave Hunter and by Garth Bulman
Examiner Mon., 14 Oct., 1861, page 4:
"New Topographical Map of PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, W. E. Baker & Co., Publishers, From actual Surveys by D. J. Lake and H. S. Peck, Civil Engineers,
The publishers would respectfully inform the inhabitants of P. E. Island, that the Surveys are now nearly completed. To show the location of every Farm, & the course and distance of every Road, all STREAMS, MILLS, CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, &c; and the Publishers are now revising to make a large and splendid TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP OF THE ENTIRE IS- LAND, with the recent COAST SURVEYS included. As much time and labor, with large expenditures, are necessary to complete such a work, the cooperation of all intelligent citizens is respectfully solicited.
W. E. BAKER & CO. Publishers October 7, 1861"The Lake Map was eventually published in 1863, a huge map of the Island, close to 8x10 feet. It contains useful pieces of information superimposed onto the blank areas such as the 1861 Census Summary, Proprietor's List, Parish List, and blown up maps and Directories for a number of towns. Unlike the later atlases, it was all on one page, not broken done to a lot per page.
Interesting and informative comparisons may be made between this map, and the 1880 Meacham's, and 1928 Cummin's Atlases. This map was done while many of the lots were owned by Absentee Landlords - the later atlases followed the Land Purchase Act of 1875. In many cases, in the three successive maps, you can follow the moves of three generations of a family over a full 65 years of Island history. Meacham's and Cummin's reprints are available from PEIMHF.
I hope that you will find this map of use to you. Existing Lake Maps all are in various stages of disintegration. There are some highly damaged lots on our sample map - we will be replacing some lot graphics when we find a copy of the map with these areas undamaged. You will undoubtably see the quality of some of the lot scans improve, as we identify the poorer ones, and find an alternative source for replacement scans.