death_date death_place birth_place birth_date known_for image article_title name occupation
14 december 1899 milwaukee , wisconsin southampton , massachusetts 09 june 1813 popular of rapid settlement maps of the upper midwest in the era silaschapman.png silas chapman
 silas chapman educator , map publisher
silas chapman

silas chapman -lrb- june 9 , 1813 - december 14 , 1899 -rrb- was a milwaukee map and book publisher known primarily for his maps of the upper midwest , which were influential at a pivotal time of the settlement of that region .
when he arrived in milwaukee harbor in 1841 , there were 2,000 inhabitants , the roads were crude , most of the area was oak prairie , and the towns of the region had not yet been settled .
within 20 years , with the help of an influx of skilled engravers , especially from germany , his firm was producing fine detailed maps , many of which became collectors items .
he published 55 different maps during his life .
an 1880s map of milwaukee sold 100,000 copies , at a time when the population of the city was 150,000 .
