1975 Rand McNally / Fred Harvey Map the Grand Canyon / View of South Rim

An impressive 1975 map and view of the Grand Canyon, produced for tourists by Rand McNally and the Fred Harvey Company.

A Closer Look

The map covers the Grand Canyon centered on the Colorado River, with the location of various notable creeks, rapids, buttes, cliffs, 'temples,' 'shrines,' 'castles,' and other features in the canyon noted (this unusual nomenclature was the legacy of geologist Clarence Dutton, who played an important role in familiarizing the American public with the grandeur of the canyon). Roads and trails are also indicated, as are buildings, including the collection of buildings on the canyon's South Rim (South Rim Village). Among these are buildings operated by the Fred Harvey Company, including the El Tovar Hotel, Hopi House, and Bright Angel Lodge. The verso consists of a bird's-eye view of the South Rim Village, again highlighting the facilities operated by the Fred Harvey Company.

The Fred Harvey Company

The Fred Harvey Company was founded by its namesake owner in 1875 as a hospitality business operating along the lines of the expanding railroad network in the Western United States, particularly the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, with which Harvey eventually developed a special contractual relationship. Building restaurants and later hotels, dubbed Harvey Houses, within or adjacent to train stations, especially in smaller towns, Harvey developed a reputation for providing fast, efficient, and clean service to weary travelers. At its peak, the Fred Harvey Company ran 84 hotels and restaurants along the railway from Topeka to San Francisco, with many locations in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Later, the company expanded into demonstrations of Native American crafts and 'Indian Detours,' which took tourists in private 'Harvey Cars' from rail stops into Indian Country. Thus, the Harvey company was an integral part of tourism and migration to the American West at the turn of the 20th century.

The Grand Canyon took on special significance for the Fred Harvey Company, as it was the main tourist destination reached by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe (via the Grand Canyon Railway, completed 1905, which was an extension of the pre-existing Santa Fe and Grand Canyon Railroad, constructed for mining purposes). The Harvey Company built restaurants and lodges, operated the aforementioned automobile coach service, and sold souvenirs to tourists at the Grand Canyon. Perhaps the most impressive operation was the El Tovar Hotel, built directly on the South Rim of the canyon near the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe's Grand Canyon Depot.

In the mid-20th century, the company expanded further, building or acquiring hotels and restaurants throughout the West, Midwest, and Plains States, including the famous Furnace Creek Inn in Death Valley. In 1968, after the death of Fred Harvey's grandson, the Fred Harvey Company was purchased by American Factors (Amfac, Inc., renamed Xanterra Travel Collection in 2002). Today, Xanterra continues to operate several former Harvey Houses, including El Tovar, while others have been converted to museums or for other uses.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared by Rand-McNally for the Fred Harvey Company, while the view on the verso is not attributed. It is undated, but the designation at bottom-right, along with context and the style of the map and text suggest a date of 1975. Maps with this title were produced between the early 1970s and early 1990s, and the present edition is noted among the collections of eight institutions in the OCLC.