If you're like me, it's probably been a while – about two cars ago. I remember having to buy a map at a gas station while getting lost in a Cleveland suburb. And the map (which wasn't cheap) was something put out by Rand McNally or somebody – not the oil company.
Since then, like everyone else, I rely on my car's navigation system or use Google Maps directions on my iPhone through Bluetooth. (I have handwritten directions just in case something goes wrong.)
But back in 1930, road maps were essential on a trip. The federal highway system was still in its infancy and many roads weren't paved, and were merely gravel – or worse. You had to have a map.
Thus ads with the promise of a free map, like the one at the top of this post which appeared in the Lorain Journal on May 1, 1930, no doubt lured a lot of drivers to their local Sohio station.
Here's a color version of the map shown in the ad.
