Travel the North-South Fast Route from the Great Lakes to Florida

Welcome to the North-South Fast Route!

This interesting travel guide was copyrighted in 1956 by the Highway Map Publishing Company of Columbus, Georgia (publisher, James Woodall). A rather linear route connecting Chicago and Michigan City (upper left) to St. Petersburg is broken into four strip maps. Each notes the primary highways (a patchwork mix of U.S. 431, 280, and 19) and nearby locations of interest. Adjacent advertisements promote local tourist amenities like hotels, restaurants, and auto supply stores. The verso offers a detailed mileage table and a road map of the United States, created by H.M. Gousha, with the NSFR highlighted in red. Among the many attractions available along the North-South Fast Route is Santa Claus Land in Santa Claus, Indiana, “The World’s Most Unusual Village.”

Though the Highway Map Publishing Company issued other similar maps for other promoted routes, this edition appears to hold special interest for the firm. Columbus is firmly planted at a ‘crook’ in the road, requiring a brief detour onto Highway 27. Accompanying text offers “all information available concerning sales or rentals of excellent business properties” along the NSFR. The front cover notes this example of the map was distributed compliments of the Lighthouse Motel and Restaurant in Bloomfield, Indiana.