Mohawk-Hobbs Grade and Surface Guide – Old Oregon Trail

Hitch a ride along the Old Oregon Trail with this innovative 1930 road guide.

“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. 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 1927 and shows the path of the Old Spanish Trail between El Paso and Jacksonville. In addition to the aforementioned information present on each page, the guide also includes key for use, a highway summary, list of published routes, advertisements for Mohawk rubber products, information on Yellowstone National Park, an innovative mileage diagram, and a map of the route on the back panel. Interesting descriptions include those for Parco (this wonder town rose like magic from the desert in 1923), Salt Lake City (about 40% of the people are Mormons, but there is nothing about their manner or dress to distinguish them from ‘Gentiles’), and the Fort Hall Indian Reservation and School (over 1,800 Bannock and Shoshone Indians; they are peaceful and industrious, but practice their old tribal dances), among many others.

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