Not all the commercial mapping ventures of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries represented
large and diversified operations. Several interesting manuscript maps of the mid-western states portray
routes of the "Railway Mail Service" and locate working post offices. These maps were designed by an
enterprising Chicago railway mail clerk, Frank H. Galbraith in 1897.
The maps were devised to serve as memory aids for employees of the Railway Mail Service and the U.S. Post Office Department in quickly locating counties, routes, and post offices in the several states. The maps were not published but were rented, on a fee basis, to practicing or prospective postal workers.
Map designed by Frank H. Galbraith. 1897.
![]() |
![]() |