Gospel Temperance Railroad Map (c1908)
Avoid Rum Jug Lake and Povertyville. Take the straight line to Celestial City
George Bula, author of this map, was associated with the Pentecost Bands of the World, and he aimed to appeal to both children and working men alike with his creation. As the caption at the bottom states, the map is “just the thing for temperance workers in every community. It will be found especially effective among Railroad men and all who are engaged in transportation work, whether on land or water. Get a supply and distribute among your neighbors and friends. Give them out on trains as you travel.”
The map itself represents a coming-together of a growing temperance movement in the United States that would lead to the passage of the 18th amendment just a decade later in 1920, and a growing mobility made possible by the growth of railroads. Bula described his own aims for the map in the following words: “This unique map will make a lasting impression for good on all who study it. The names of states, towns, railroads, lakes, rivers, and mountains are all significant. A copy of this map should be in every home, hotel, railroad station, and public place. It makes an interesting study for school children, both in the public and Sunday schools. It will cause many a one to leave the Great Destruction Route and finish his journey on the Great Celestial Route.” ~ Fast-Track to Destruction City Aboard the Gospel Temperance Railroad by Meagan Snow
Title: Gospel temperance railroad map.
Contributor Names: Bula, G. E.
Created / Published: [United States? : s.n.], c1908.
Medium: 1 map : col. ; 36 x 49 cm.
Library of Congress: 2004633094