Hutchinson and 75 Miles Around [and] Railroad Map of Kansas

“Within this 75-Mile Circle there is enough property to pay the National Debt.” – Text, upper left.

This fascinating promotional map was published in 1889 by Rand McNally on behalf of the Kansas First Mortgage Company. The real estate investment firm issued the piece to highlight the agricultural abundance and profitable opportunities available in Hutchinson, Kansas, and the surrounding area. Reno County (of which Hutchinson is the county seat) is highlighted in bright red, while a circle with a radius of about 75 miles encompasses land that (somewhat unbelievably) “will produce more corn, hogs, cattle, and wheat than any other district of its size in the United States.”

Railroad lines are prominently shown, including the short-lived Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway (acquired by the Rock Island Line in 1889). Blocks of text and numerous tables of statistics emphasize the surplus of natural resources, including an enormous recently discovered salt deposit that was quickly developing into an important local industry.

Also of interest is the No Saloons selling point. Hutchinson was founded in 1871 by a strict advocate who wrote prohibition clauses into the land sale agreements, earning it the moniker ‘Temperance City.’

The verso presents a large and colorful railroad map of Kansas that identifies more than one dozen primary lines in operation. Reno County is again highlighted in red, with bold text informing the piece was distributed compliments of the Kansas First Mortgage Company.

Sources: Access Geneaology; Legends of Kansas; Hutchinson News;