Mendenhall’s Guide and Road Map of Illinois

An uncommon map of Illinois issued during the heydey of the ‘Good Roads’ movement.

This fascinating WWI-era road guide to Illinois was copyrighted and published by the Cincinnati-based firm of C.S. Mendenhall & Co. in 1917. A brightly colored image highlights the ‘Main Routes’ across the Land of Lincoln in red, while county and state borders are colored in yellow. Good roads, connecting roads, railroads, and canals are also noted, presenting a complete overview of the available transportation infrastructure. Inset plans highlight the same details, at a larger scale, around the urban centers of Chicago, St. Louis, and Springfield. The red numbers refer to Mendenhall’s recommended itineraries, which are included in the attached booklet and often include information on local road conditions.

Established in Cincinnati and active from the 1880s through the 1910s, C.S. Mendenhall was a pioneering mapmaking firm that played a vital role in transitioning American travelers from the bicycle craze of the Gilded Age to the era of the automobile. While competitors like Rand McNally focused on national expansion, Mendenhall became a regional authority on the Midwest and pockets of the East Coast and Southern states. His detailed maps were usually accompanied by road guides that provided text-based itineraries between specific points, often incorporating local conditions (as in this case).