1942 Rand McNally / Union Pacific Military Map of the United States

A 1942 World War II era Rand McNally map of the United States issued for the Union Pacific Railroad. It notes the locations of military facilities and highlights the contributions of the Union Pacific to the war effort.

A Closer Look

Black lines trace the Union Pacific network and associated lines, marked as either single or double track, while lighter grey lines represent the trackage of other companies. Military bases, airfields, forts, naval bases, and other facilities are indicated with red squares, airplanes, and anchors. Inset maps at bottom-left and bottom-right denote connecting shipping lines across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Rivers, mountains, cities, national parks, and state borders are also indicated. The verso includes an extensive list of military installations organized alphabetically, a list of Union Pacific offices around the country, and a section describing Union Pacific's contributions to the war effort.

American Railroads and World War II

During World War I (1914 - 1918), American railroad lines were nationalized and placed under the management of the United States Railroad Administration. Following the Great War, scarcely two years after its establishment, this system was unwound, but in its brief existence, the U.S.R.A. oversaw important investments in rail infrastructure, standardization measures, and regulatory changes. However, the interwar period was difficult for the railroads, especially passenger rail, as competition from automobiles and aviation along with the Great Depression hurt ridership. Still, the continued oversight and standardization of the rail network (by the Interstate Commerce Commission) proved to be a boon during World War II (1939 - 1945), obviating the need for another wartime nationalization while allowing for the smooth interaction of various private railroads to support the war effort.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared by Rand McNally and Company and issued by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1942, with the copyright noting C. J. Collins (the company's General Passenger Traffic Manager, who is credited in several of their other maps and publications of the era). Union Pacific had issued several editions of its 'Geographically Correct Map of the United States' prepared by Rand McNally in the 1920s and 1930s. The present example is a significantly modified wartime edition, touting the Union Pacific network as 'The Strategic Middle Route.'

The present edition is listed in the OCLC among the holdings of the University of California Santa Cruz, the University of Kansas, Missouri State University, and the University of Michigan.