Rand McNally Official 1924 Auto Trails Map New Hampshire Vermont [and] Maine

New England’s roads before the introduction of the National Numbered Highway System.

This handy and informative pocket-sized road map was published in 1924 by the iconic Chicago-based cartographic firm of Rand McNally. The original covers indicate this example was distributed compliments of the Detroit Automobile Club. Membership benefits listed on the back indicate a Touring Department – presumably the source of this New England vacation guide.

One side of the enclosed sheet shows the network of paved, improved (generally gravel or macadam) and dirt roads across the states of New Hampshire and Vermont, while the verso presents the same information for Maine. Distances between points are noted and towns small and large are labeled throughout, with the latter often accompanied by suggestions for tourists (hotels, restaurants, garages, etc.) in red overprinting. Small triangles identify the location of tourist camps – these early motorist accommodations, predating the first motels, ranged from open fields to small, permanent cottages.

A visual reference to the different road markers reflects the disjointed and often chaotic system that was in place before the 1926 adoption of the National Numbered Highway System. State-level highways, road markings for Quebec, and various signs for privately-sponsored auto trails (often overlapping with one another) are shown. The last category includes transcontinental routes like the Theodore Roosevelt Highway, in addition to more localized paths such as the Aroostook Trail.