Pictorial Quick Mileage Map - Minnesota

click to enlarge

This postcard has a Pictorial Quick Mileage Map of Minnesota by the Langwith Map Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I'm sure that the original must have been much larger. It is hard to see the details on the map unless it is enlarged. I couldn't find any information on the Langwith Map Co., but the Minnesota Historical Society website has a Langwith's Pictorial Map of Minnesota from the 1930s here, and there are listings on the web for Langwith road maps for Minnesota and other states.

The map shows highways and mileages, and has comical figures scattered around the state. Up by the Canadian border, Uncle Sam is reaching across the border to shake hands with "John." In the center of the map near Brainerd there is a Paul Bunyan figure with a "Paul Bunyan Celebration" label (This celebration appears to have first occurred in 1936). Oddly, there are also labels there for Camp Lincoln and Camp Hubert which are summer camps for boys and girls. A bit south of there is "Father Hennepin Discovers the New Deal Tax." Farther north is "Me Heap Big Chief Rain-In-Puss Ugh!" A Minneapolis miller says "Oh Boy! Am I Gonna Make Myself Some Dough?" while St. Paul says "Heh! Heh! He's Gotta Make It - But I've Already Got The Capital!"

The mapmaker managed to fit in Omaha, Milwaukee, and Chicago near the bottom of the map. These are south of Minnesota but not very close!

This postcard was mailed from Bemidji in 1941 with the message "Boy! you should see all the beautiful women!"