Brochure for Rock City, Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, TN. and a tourist map, distributed free at Gulf Gas stations.
A century ago, paper road maps were free at gas stations. The popularity of road maps grew with the automobile industry. Cars were invented in the late 1800s and in 1901, The Official Automobile Blue Book was first published with step-by-step written instructions for drivers to navigate from town to town and information on where to find gas or other services. However, cars were an expensive luxury item for only the wealthiest until Henry Ford introduced the affordable Model T in 1908. As more Americans bought cars, more miles of highway were paved. Promotional road maps, printed by oil companies and distributed free at gas stations, first appeared in the 1910s. Road maps often featured advertising for local or state businesses to offset costs of printing.