The company that mapped the American road and survived the Great Fire

Wars & Conflicts · Published 17 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before GPS, one firm defined how Americans navigated the continent. From printing railroad timetables to inventing the numbered highway system, Rand McNally transformed from a local Chicago print shop into a global cartographic powerhouse, surviving fires and technological shifts to shape our physical understanding of the world.

William H. Rand and Andrew McNally established the business in 1856. Chicago's expanding railway sector was the original market for this enterprise. By 1868, they were managing the printing operations for the forerunner of the Chicago Tribune. Their early success was built on printing tickets and timetables, eventually leading to the publication of the first Rand McNally map in 1872, which utilized a new cost-saving wax engraving method.

The company's growth was marked by rapid diversification and innovation. In 1880, they entered the educational market with geography textbooks, and by 1904, they published their first road map as the automobile era began. A pivotal moment occurred in 1917 when cartographer John Brink invented the numbered highway system. Rand McNally didn't just map these roads; they also erected many of the actual roadside signs, a system that was eventually adopted by federal and state authorities.

Despite its longevity, the company faced significant structural changes. The McNally family held majority ownership for nearly 100 years before divesting in 1997. This period saw a shift from traditional print to digital mapping and a series of complex acquisitions and divestitures. While the company once operated massive printing plants and a chain of travel stores, it has recently pivoted toward commercial transportation technology, including telematics and GPS hardware, while maintaining its legacy in atlas publishing.

Today, Rand McNally remains a significant name in cartography, having survived the transition from wax engravings and paper guides to fully digitized maps. Its history reflects the broader American story of industrial expansion, the rise of the automobile, and the evolution of how we visualize our place in the world.

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