1935 Oregon State Board of Aeronautics Airways and Airport Map of Oregon

This is a 1935 Oregon State Board of Aeronautics airways and airports map of Oregon. The map is indicative of the early days of American commercial aviation, particularly in terms of evolving cartographic conventions being adapted from marine navigation to aeronautical maps.

A Closer Look

The map is in unusual green, resembling a diazo or whiteprint - but is almost certainly on offset lithograph. Red overprinting highlighting airways and airports, as well as offering important aerial navigational data: radio range from major airports, bearings, airport and airway light beacons, and radio frequencies for weather reports. The map is based on an earlier state map by the Oregon State Highway Department, and it thus illustrates railroads and major and minor roads.

Verso Content

Twenty-seven maps occupy the verso. Twenty-six of these focus on specific cities and towns around Oregon, divided between 13 locations. Each city or town received two maps: one situating the airport in relation to the town and the other detailing the layout of the airport. The airport maps provide dimensions for the runways and mark hangars and other buildings that may be on the approach. The map of the Astoria airport even marks the 'hydroplane channel'. All 26 maps were drawn by an individual known only by their initials, 'H. L. G.'. The 27th map, in the upper left, details airways throughout the northwestern United States.

Emergence of Commercial Aviation

This map emerged in the early days of American commercial aviation. It coincides with the introduction of the Douglas DC-E, a milestone revolutionizing air travel with its efficiency, reliability, and comfort, making it possible for airlines to offer scheduled services that were both profitable and accessible to a broad segment of the population. The same period also witnessed the establishment of infrastructure and regulatory measures that provided a foundation for the commercial aviation industry - much of which we can see in the cartographic conventions being developed on this map, many of which are modified from marine navigation.

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by the Oregon State Board of Aeronautics using an Oregon State Highway Department highway map of Oregon drawn by F. A. Skelley as the source cartography. We note three examples in OCLC: Oregon Historical Society, the State Library of Oregon, and the University of Oregon.