A reply from a RoadMap list person ...

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "Mark Everhart" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Patrick Morris" <[log in to unmask]>
Cc: [log in to unmask], "Discussion group for map history" <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask]
Sent: Friday, August 21, 2009 11:34:52 PM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central
Subject: Re: RM: Gousha oddity

Patrick,

Here's a long shot for investigation: I think this might be a map of hybrid corn farms.

The areas marked are in the midwest, in rural areas. 1939 was when corn hybridization was just really starting to take off. There are different shaped borders around the numbers which could be different types of seed corn (dent, flint, etc.).

Please let me know if my educated guess turns out to be any good.

Mark Everhart
RMCA #217

Patrick Morris wrote:

Gentle Readers,

Attached here is an image of a peculiar Gousha road map we've run across at the Newberry Library, titled Official Territorial Road Map : Central United States (Chicago : H.M. Gousha Co., [1939?]), plate no. M-8 at bottom right.

The base map is printed in blue but overprinted in red with hundreds of unidentified points in rural areas well off the road network. These points are connected with radiating lines to numbers printed in the margins within circle and square borders, but without a key to these numbered sites, which are apparently NOT state parks.

Any ideas about what is being located would be much appreciated.

Thanks for your time, Pat Morris

==============================
Patrick A. Morris
Map Cataloger and Reference Librarian
The Newberry Library
60 W. Walton Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610-7324
312-255-3674
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Search our map catalog at www.biblioserver.com/newberry
Newberry Library web site: www.newberry.org










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