The index for our new digital image collection, the Poor’s Railroad and Utilities Maps collection, is available to the public here.
The Poor’s Railroad and Utilities Maps collection web map is an interactive web map that displays the geographic extent of the Poor’s Publishing Company railroad and utility maps for the North American continent.
- Geographic Coverage: North American continent
- Time Range: 1927-1933
- Physical Availability: In-house use only
- Digital Availability: Scanned (600dpi)
The collection consists of 61 maps depicting numerous railways and a selection of utilities spanning the North American continent from 1927 to 1933. The Poor’s Publishing Company was originally started in 1860 by Henry Varnum Poor with the goal of helping investors understand the emerging railroad industry by publishing the History of the Railroads and Canals of the United States. Poor’s Publishing Company no longer exists today, however, but the company ‘lives on’ as S&P Global, a corporation that specializes in the fields of financial analytics.
Many of the maps show the same railway system developing over a series of years. Changes in the railways, such as additions and removals of track, can be seen throughout the collection. For example, when comparing the 1929 and the 1930 maps of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway System, a new railroad addition can be seen on the 1930 version stretching from Las Animas, Colorado down to Amarillo, Texas and Colmor, New Mexico. While some maps do not show changes in the track, they often display additional stops created along the railroads.
The Poor’s Railroad and Utilities Map Collection provides unique insight into the railroads that were integral to North American commerce, transportation, and communication, allowing a glimpse into the increasing connections across the continent. If you are interested in visiting the collection in-person or would like to view the high resolution scans, please submit a Service Request indicating the railroad map name and year and Map and Geospatial Hub staff will prepare the requested map(s) for viewing. Be sure to visit our Facebook page for all the latest Map and Geospatial Hub updates.
- Lienna Tieu, Map and GIS Intern