Rand McNally & Co’s Maine

Early 20th century pocket map of Maine.

The publishing juggernaut of Rand McNally began in the railroading businesses; issuing tickets and timetables as early as 1856. The company expanded with the rails that were quickly established in nearly every corner of the country, and would continue to feature them prominently in publications throughout the 20th century.

This is a fine example of the 1904 edition of Rand McNally & Co’s pocket map of Maine, which uses a series of numbers between 5 and 59 to identify 17 different railroads in operation in the state. An index of chief cities can be seen along the left side of the sheet, each of which corresponds to a location on the grid border. The map, designed to be carried in a vest pocket, folds into its original paper covers which feature additional advertisements for Rand McNally.