Pennsylvania Auto Trail Road Guide

A detailed mid-1920s guide to the roads of Pennsylvania.

“In attempting to set down on paper practical material for tourists in Pennsylvania, it is our purpose to make available information on road building… All this is presented in such shape that it may be easily found and used.” – Preface.

This comprehensive 1925 guide serves as a primary record of the Keystone State’s highway network on the eve of federal standardization. Published locally in DuBois, the eighty-page directory provides a wealth of data for the early motorist, including route logs organized by terminal points, an index of towns, and contemporary advertisements for roadside accommodations. For each of the dozens of chartered routes, the guide provides precise distances between intersections and detailed directional instructions.

The booklet is accompanied by a large fold-out map that utilizes a sophisticated color-coding system: bright blue denotes hard-surfaced roads, while shades of green and yellow identify state forests, game preserves, and nurseries. Of particular interest is the Buffalo-Pittsburgh Highway, highlighted in yellow. Though the route was set to officially open in 1926, the simultaneous introduction of the U.S. Numbered Highway System meant this “named” trail was almost immediately absorbed into U.S. Routes 119 and 219. The map also pinpoints numerous campsites, reflecting a time when such facilities were often the only alternative to urban hotels for long-distance travelers.