Fun with Maps ISSUE 2025-069

By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (April 15, 2025) – In today’s edition of Fun with Maps, we open the map to life on the road – in our cars without GPS.  

Road Atlas

Andrew McNally joined William Rand in his printing business in 1858.

They printed the Chicago Tribune, various tickets and the like.

Maps followed in 1872, first as railroad maps, then road maps starting in 1904, first with the New York City area.

Road maps in atlas format were first published on April 15, 1924. 

Most all cars had maps in them, and the likelihood of those maps being published by Rand McNally were high.  Then GPS kicked in…

This Rand McNally map of Ohio, with Cincinnati as the inset, is from 1898.

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps.

Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Fun with Maps here on Loveland Beacon.