Automobile Map of New York – Central Section

This collection of early road maps covering central New York was created by George H. Walker & Company of Boston in 1907 on behalf of the Automobile Club of America (ACA). The ACA, established in New York in 1899, was the first organization in the U.S. dedicated to the new ‘sport’ of motoring. It helped to form the broader American Automobile Association in 1902 and was instrumental in the promotion of the Good Roads movement. The maps cover four distinct sections, Lake, Susquehanna, Mohawk, and Catskill – each prized by city dwellers for their natural beauty, rich history, and/or luxurious summer resorts. Good automobile roads are brightly highlighted in red, with other roads (presumably unimproved) noted with dashes. The Catskill section shows a paucity of good roads, likely due to the difficult terrain and remote urban centers. Issued at a scale of 2 miles = 1 inch, the images offer a detailed overview of the countryside. Tiny villages, settlements, and post offices join approximate outlines of large urban centers. Prominent geographic features, local industries (like mills), and the railway network are also labeled throughout each sheet. Of particular interest, at the time of publication, were the Finger Lakes, Cooperstown (before the Baseball Hall of Fame), the Erie Canal, and the historic commune at Oneida.