Mohawk-Hobbs Grade and Surface Guide – New England Tours

“2,000 miles of pleasure – a selection of the best routes – finest scenery” [front cover]

“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 Mohawk 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, or combination thereof. 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 1929 and shows the recommended vacation routes across New England. In addition to the aforementioned information present on each page, the guide also includes key for use, advertisements for Mohawk rubber products, a list of published routes, and a map of the route on the back cover with insets of Boston and Providence.

Interesting descriptions include that for New York (traffic is skillfully directed and strangers can drive anywhere) and Boston (the old part of the city has much congestion; do not use your car for sightseeing), among many others.

More information on the Mohawk-Hobbs Guide can be found at my blog post here.