The Midwest as it might have been

I write to you from near the boundary of Assenisipia and Metropotamia...

Check out Thomas Jefferson's version of the Northwest Territory at Strange Maps. (Hat tip to Sam Smith for the pointer.)

Here's how it really happened, plus a slightly different version of Jefferson's map, all on John Lindquist's awesomely well-documented site. Looks like this is the one to bookmark, but also check out Illinois Trails, which has a number of early Northwest Territory maps, plus some genealogical leads if you have research targets that early in this part of the world.