Rand McNally Official 1922 Auto Trails Map District No 12

An interesting 1920s road map of the ‘Middle West, stretching from Kansas City to Denver.

This striking pocket map, printed in bright blue and red, vividly outlines the diminishing concentration of roads as a traveler moves from east to west in the early 1920s. A robust network serves the Great Plains states of Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma, thanks in large part to their flat topography. However, as one ventures into Colorado and New Mexico, the roads become more sparse and the landscape increasingly rugged, as shown by the small hachures.

The image also highlights the somewhat confusing mishmash of auto-trails and state-sponsored routes in the years before the U.S. Numbered Highway System (1926). Both are depicted along the top of the page, along with their corresponding signage (generally posted on utility poles). Blue and red triangles identify the sites of free tourist campgrounds – rudimentary Accommodations for motorists who prefer alternatives to city hotels. Further red overprinting names numerous businesses of particular interest to the traveler – hotels, garages, auto supply stores, etc.

The map was published in Chicago in 1922 by the prominent mapmaking firm of Rand McNally. The company had an entire team dedicated to regularly updating its Auto Trails maps, which divided the roads of the nation into various Districts. This particular example was distributed by the Electric Service & Engineering Company of Denver, Colorado, as noted by the advertisements on the covers.