The Custer Battlefield Hiway – The Scenic Route to the West

“IT TAKES YOU TO THE HEART OF THE PLAYGROUNDS OF AMERICA” – Text, front panel. This uncommon pamphlet was created by the Kenyon Map Company of Des Moines, Iowa in 1925 – the year before the introduction of the U.S. Numbered Highway System. It was issued by the Custer Battlefield Hiway Association to promote a suggested automobile route for those interested in seeing the natural beauty of the Great Plains and the American West. Scenic regions like the Black Hills, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park are emphasized, along with other benefits like the lack of steep grades, convenient connections, numerous tourist camps, and ‘Real live Indians and crying papooses.’ The red and white ink used in the production of the map reflects the color of the signs used to mark the highway – a clever marketing tactic. The Custer Battlefield Highway was officially organized in 1919 to connect Des Moines to Glacier National Park, passing through Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. The 1,475-mile route was marked on telephone poles, fence posts, and special poles with red bands and two white stripes. Between the white stripes was a white triangle with the black letters C, B, H. Text in the lower right promises an eventual extension to the Pacific Coast and, eventually, to Florida, though these extensions never occurred.