Matchbooks were an easy and cheap way to advertise a business. For very little expense, a motel or cafe could buy thousands of these little billboards, which doubled as useful souvenirs for smokers and everyone else. Here are a couple from the Mother Road. McLean, Texas is still a great stop on U.S. 66. This [...]
U.S. 54 was a key east-west route through Kansas. This postcard was produced in 1958 to promote travel along this road. Mr. and Mrs. Jayhawker welcomed travelers. Sadly, one tourist stop on U.S. 54 has been lost. The town of Greensburg was devastated by a tornado in May…and the toll of that disaster included the [...]
Dodge City, Kan. sits near the center of Ford County in the southwest portion of the state. U.S. Highways 50, 56 and 283 converge on this famous little town. This place is a popular stop for tourists. You can ride in a vintage stagecoach, visit the Boot Hill Museum or watch a staged gunfight. This [...]
There are plenty of beautiful road maps. But this 1929 example from Shell would be on many folks Top 10 list. Almost 80 years old, this relic shows a bountiful landscape filled with the optimism of people on the move. And who wouldn’t want to stop at that crackerbox-style gas station? This map heralded in [...]
Franchise motels, like Holiday Inn and TraveLodge, began to appear along Route 66 in the late 1950s. TraveLodge was started in California and crept eastward. Mrs. Ruth J. Brockmiller, Helen J. Hougland and Alice G. White were in charge of this early TraveLodge motel in Kingman, Ariz. Sleepy Bear was (is) the mascot of this [...]
One of the great things about old road maps are the depictions of the service station attendants. They gleefully hand out the latest map or wave goodbye. Smiles and impeccable dress are a must. It doesn’t matter that these guys have been changing tires and oil all day. Here are two examples of how oil [...]
Stop in at the Round-Up Motel in Tucson, Ariz. Located on U.S. Highway 80, this ranch-style motel lured in travelers from the hot Arizona sun by offering air-conditioning. This postcard example and business card are from the early 1950s. Lucky for you, the motel is still in operation today.
Drive the Meridian Highway from Winnipeg, Canada all the way south past Monterrey, Mexico. This classic guidebook, from 1931, does a fantastic job of selling travel along U.S. Highway 81. Pages of this guide are filled with romantic illustrations and descriptions of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The road was 1,851 [...]
Here we are sitting at the intersection of Girard, Monte Vista and Central Avenue in the bustling city of Albuquerque. This crossroads on Route 66 has often been called “Badman’s Corners,” since every “badman” or wanted man has at one time or another passed this point. The detail of this photo has an interesting juxtaposition [...]
Here’s a cool combo map and guide to Highways 60 and 66. The Highway Travel Service, based in Waterloo, Iowa, produced dozens of maps in the 1930s and 40s. This map from 1939, showed travelers the way from Virginia to California. One of the best parts of this guide are the nifty ads inside. Cafes, [...]
