Map of the Chicago-Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway and Connections

The Milwaukee Road about a decade prior to its massive Pacific Extension.

This fascinating, if geographically distorted, map of the United States presents the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway within the broader national transportation network of the mid-1890s. The company’s routes connect major Midwestern cities with destinations across the Great Plains, including Omaha and Kansas City, while numerous smaller stops reflect its extensive passenger service. Connecting railroads, shown with thinner lines, place the Milwaukee Road within a much wider system of rail transportation.

Two insets extend this perspective beyond the continental United States. A world map in the upper right emphasizes the connections between American railways and international transportation routes, while a map of Mexico appears in the lower left. Together, these insets present the railroad as part of a far-reaching network of rail and steamship connections, rather than simply a regional carrier.

The map is credited to Rand, McNally & Co. of Chicago, identified as printers, and Matthews-Northrup & Co. of Buffalo, New York. Published in February, 1896, as indicated by the printer’s code on the covers. The verso includes an extensive set of timetables, a directory of ticket offices and company representatives, and promotional material for the Midland Railway of New England and Excelsior Springs, Missouri. A rubberstamp on the front cover identifies Liverpool firm Jackson & Sons as a distributor, suggesting that this example was circulated in Britain.