Mohawk Hobbs Grade and Surface Guide National Old Trails and Connections

The eastern portion of the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway during the mid-1920s.

“The purpose of the Mohawk-Hobbs guides is to give you definite routings over the best roads; to bring points of unusual interest to your attention; to save money for you; to make your trip more enjoyable and educational; in short, a constructive effort to serve you in a way that will gain your good-will for Mohawk, and your favorable consideration for Mohawke Quality Tires.” [foreword].

In 1921, Howard Hobbs created his first innovative Hobbs Grade and Surface Guide. Issued on an annual basis until the early 1930s, the booklets were sponsored by the Mohawk Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio and covered one of America’s primary highways. At least 25 different routes were covered in tremendous detail. Each page of the guide presents a detailed diagram of the route’s elevation and surface composition, a small strip map, list of motorist’s amenities (lodging, garages, restaurants, etc.) and ‘intimate notes’ that provide a fascinating contemporary snapshot into automobile tourism of the early 20th century.

This example was published in 1926 and shows the path of the National Old Trails Road between St. Louis and New York (with connections to D.C. and Chicago). In addition to the aforementioned information present on each page, the guide also includes a key for use, a highway summary, a route map of the National Park Tour, information on side trips, a list of published routes, advertisements for Mohawk rubber products, an innovative mileage diagram, and a map of the route on the back panel.