Clason’s Guide Map of Minnesota

A ‘splendid auto map’ of Minnesota from 1919.

This interesting and uncommon road map of Minnesota was published in 1919 by the Clason Map Company of Denver, Colorado. The firm was a pioneer in early commercial cartography intended for the growing audience of motorists. A detailed image outlines the Land of 10,000 Lakes, its counties, and National Forests in bright green. Primary automobile routes are highlighted in red, visually surpassing the railroad as the 20th-century transportation revolution gained steam. These trails are named individually, as a national system of highway numbering was not introduced until 1926. Major thoroughfares, like the Jefferson Highway, are labeled in addition to more regional routes, like the Masaba Range Road.

The front covers indicate that this example of the map was distributed by the Surety Fund Life Company of Minneapolis. As the popularity of the automobile increased after World War I, so did the number of fatalities and accidents. Though the ‘corporate synergy’ is rather dark, it was relatively commonplace for insurance companies to sponsor road maps, guides, etc.