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Description

A fascinating glimpse into the early years of automobile tourism in the United States, this 1915 Pacific Coast Automobile Tours map, published by the California Automobile Tours Co., offers a detailed view of the West Coast's most scenic routes and highlights the growing popularity of the automobile as a means of exploration and adventure.

This striking map, published with the compliments of Hotel Oakland in Oakland, California, and copyrighted by the Panama Pacific International Exposition Co., showcases various notable highways and tours along the West Coast, including Crater Lake, Old Mission, Lake County, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Olympic, Columbia, Oregon Trail, Northwest Trail, Ocean to Ocean, Midland Trail, Pacific Highway, and the famous Lincoln Highway. The main image presents a large map of California, Oregon, and Washington, highlighting the featured highways and routes, while a secondary map illustrates the breadth of the United States with the Lincoln Highway and its laterals.

The Pacific Coast Automobile Tours map reflects the advent of automobile tourism in the early 20th century, an era in which the popularity of the automobile was rapidly increasing, and the demand for accessible and scenic routes for leisurely travel was on the rise. The map serves as both an informative guide for intrepid motorists and a compelling artifact of a transformative time in American transportation history.

In addition to its historical significance, the map also provides valuable context for the growth of automobile culture and infrastructure in the United States. As more people began to rely on automobiles for travel, the development of highways and the promotion of scenic routes became vital to the burgeoning tourism industry. This map stands as a testament to the early efforts to promote and support automobile travel in the West Coast, capturing a unique moment in American history that would forever shape the nation's transportation landscape.

Condition Description
Folding map printed on both sides.