Master Catalog of American Oil Companies that Issued Roadmaps

(Major and Regional Oil Company Version)

Among the most enduring icons of 20th Century travel are the free roadmaps that motorists picked up at gas stations they stopped at during their road trips and vacations. These roadmaps not only served as essential navigation tools during their journeys but also as cherished souvenirs long after the trips were over. American oil companies were quick to pick up on the power of roadmaps as promotional items. Over the years, American oil companies of all sizes and types issued roadmaps. Although the era of free maps has passed, in recent years, oil company roadmaps have become highly desirable collectable items.

At the time most American oil company roadmaps were issued, nobody gave any thought to the possibility that they might some day become collectable. As a result, unlike coins or stamps, there has never been a definitive list of what oil companies issued roadmaps and when they issued them. This catalog has been created to help fill that void, intended to serve as a resource to guide people who are interested in roadmaps or roadmap collecting.

This version of the catalog, the Major and Regional Company version, is a free tool for anyone to use for non-commercial purposes. It is tailored for new map collectors as well as for non-collectors who come into possession of old roadmaps and want to learn more about them. It is set up so that a person who has a map, but doesn’t know anything about oil companies, can look up a name on the map and find information about it on the list. The format is simple and easy to use. The list contains three columns. The first column alphabetically lists company names and brand names that major and regional oil companies are known to have issued roadmaps under. Because it lists both company names and brand names, many companies are listed more than once. This was done intentionally to make it easier for a person to find relevant information no matter what name on the map is used to search. The second column lists the first and last known date of issuance for each company/brand. The third column is intended to provide context, with comments and cross-references.[i]

An expanded version of the Master Catalog, intended for experienced roadmap collectors, has also been prepared and is intended to be comprehensive. In addition to the major and regional oil companies included in this list, the full catalog shows information on every single American oil company known to have issued a roadmap, and for most brands shows also all known issues. That version will be available for use by RMCA members in the members section of this website. If this is something that interests you, all you will need to do to access it is to join the RMCA. Annual dues are only $15. For more information, please click the membership tab.

© 2011. Compiled by Jim Wakefield.
This document and its contents are intended for personal use only. Any commercial use, reproduction, or publication of this document and/or any part of its contents is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of the RMCA or its author.

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[i] Please note that a number of foreign oil companies also issued maps of the United States and/or parts of it. This catalog is of American Oil companies that issued roadmaps. At present, there are catalogs of oil companies in three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. To find information on a Canadian oil company that issued a map of the United States, please reference the Master Catalog of Canadian Oil Companies that Issued Roadmaps, also on this website. Like the American catalog, the Canadian catalog has two versions: a Major and Regional Oil Company Version open for all to use, and the Comprehensive Version available for use by RMCA members in the members section of this website.