History of Rand & McNally from start to Rand’s last publication:
1899 – William Rand leaves the company to pursue other interests; Andrew McNally becomes President and his family runs the business for the next century
1880 – The company ventures into educational publishing, offering a line of globes, maps, and geography textbooks
1873 – Rand McNally is incorporated with William Rand as president and Andrew McNally as vice president
1872 – The first-ever Rand McNally map appears in the December 1872 issue of the Railway Guide; Rand McNally uses a new wax engraving method, which significantly reduces the cost of printing maps
1871 – As the Great Chicago Fire races through the city, Rand and McNally rescue two ticket printing machines by burying them in the sand! Three days later, the machines are up and running in rented space
1870 – Rand McNally expands from printing into publishing with the introduction of business directories, railroad guides, and an illustrated newspaper
1869 – The first railroad guide, the Western Railway Guide, is published.
1868 – Andrew McNally and William Rand begin their partnership and establish Rand McNally & Company; they take over the Chicago Tribune’s printing shop and agree to print tickets and timetables to serve Chicago’s booming railroads, which are the nation’s premier railroad hub
1858 – Irish immigrant Andrew McNally takes a job in Rand’s printing shop for $9 a week
1856 – William Rand opens a small printing shop in Chicago’s Loop, forming the precursor of Rand McNally
