Mapsco

Mapsco was a privately held American map-publishing brand best known for its indexed street atlases of Dallas, Fort Worth, and other cities and regions in the southern and central United States. The company developed from a practical delivery problem encountered by Milton Boyd Keith, who operated several Dallas florist shops. In the late 1940s, Keith's drivers regularly became lost, leading him to seek a reliable, current street reference for deliveries. After several years of attempting to obtain usable municipal mapping information, he secured maps from the Dallas City Building Inspection Division and worked with his shop manager, Lily Kendrick, to organize and index them. The first Dallas Street Guide was printed in 1952 in an edition of approximately 3,000 copies. It initially served Keith's own delivery fleet rather than the general public, but demand from other florists and local businesses soon demonstrated that the atlas could become a commercial product. Mapsco's principal innovation was a page-and-grid indexing method: streets could be located through a page number and a lettered grid reference. Introduced in the mid-1950s, the system became closely associated with Dallas street navigation and remained substantially consistent as the atlas expanded. The business experienced an ownership and naming transition after Keith died in 1957. His nephew briefly continued the map operation under the LO-KAT-IT name, while Lily Kendrick and her son Choyce established Handymap using their cartographic expertise. The Kendricks acquired the Mapsco naming rights, and the Dallas atlas continued under the combined Handymap/Mapsco identity. Lily Kendrick became president of Handymap in December 1957, while Donald Keith served as vice president and Choyce Kendrick as treasurer. The Keith family later exited the business, and the Kendrick family operated it for several decades. Mapsco expanded from Dallas into Fort Worth, Louisville, Austin, suburban North Texas, and other regional markets. Its products were sold through the company's own stores and through gas stations, convenience stores, and other retail outlets. The 1973 energy crisis increased demand because oil companies reduced the distribution of free road maps. By the 1980s, the Dallas atlas had become a familiar tool for taxi drivers, emergency services, police, couriers, and motorists, and the Mapsco name was widely used in the Dallas–Fort Worth area as a generic term for a local street directory. The company modernized its production during the 1990s. It acquired or obtained rights connected with map publishers and regional titles, invested in computerized cartography, introduced a CD-ROM product in 1996, and produced the Dallas Street Guide digitally by 1997. Its geographic range eventually included much of Texas, parts of the Rocky Mountain and south-central regions, and selected areas of Mexico. In 2005 it acquired rights to the Roads of... state-atlas series, including titles for Texas and several other states. Mapsco was sold to Dallas-based Rupe Investment Corp. in 1989. Universal Map Group, an affiliate of Kappa Media Group, acquired Mapsco's assets from Rupe in March 2010. Retail centers were subsequently closed in several cities, and the Mapsco online store and website ceased operating. The wider Kappa Map Group stopped operations in early 2022 after the departure of its managing director and the failure to secure a buyer or rescue investor. As a result, Mapsco's publishing activity is generally treated as defunct, although its atlases and archival work remain part of the history of commercial street mapping in Texas.

Mapsco originated in Dallas from the delivery needs of florist Milton Boyd Keith. Beginning in 1948, Keith sought accurate local mapping for his drivers. In 1951 he obtained municipal map material from the Dallas City Building Inspection Division and, with shop manager Lily Kendrick, turned it into an indexed street atlas. The first Dallas Street Guide appeared in 1952, initially for internal delivery use but soon in demand among other florists and local businesses. Early production took place in the back of Keith's flower shop. The Houston edition, produced during the 1950s, was an unsuccessful experiment because its glued binding deteriorated in the humid climate. Mapsco introduced its distinctive page-and-letter grid system in 1955, making it possible to locate streets quickly despite Dallas's rapid suburban growth and repeated street names. In 1956, the Dallas city government purchased copies for fire and ambulance services, helping establish the atlas as a professional navigation tool. Following Keith's death in 1957, control of the business became unsettled. His nephew used the map bases for a competing operation called LO-KAT-IT. Lily Kendrick and her son Choyce formed Handymap and later secured the Mapsco naming rights. Lily became president in December 1957, Donald Keith became vice president, and Choyce became treasurer. The company continued producing Dallas guides from the flower-shop premises. It changed from plastic spiral binding to metal wire binding in 1959 and acquired the JIFFYMAP maps and name that same year. Donald Keith sold his interest to Lily, ending the founding family's ownership role. Mapsco expanded its Dallas guide in the 1960s, moved to dedicated headquarters on Irving Boulevard in 1970, and issued its first Fort Worth street guide in 1971. Retail distribution broadened beyond the company's store to filling stations, convenience stores, and other outlets. The 1973 energy crisis boosted sales as oil companies reduced the practice of giving motorists free road maps. A profit-sharing plan was introduced in 1979. On March 31, 1981, Handymap officially reverted to the Mapsco name. The company opened a retail outlet in North Dallas later that year and moved to a larger Maple Avenue facility in 1986. Its third major city atlas covered Louisville in 1984, followed by Austin in 1993 and additional suburban and regional guides. In 1989, Choyce Kendrick retired and Rupe Investment Corp. purchased the company. During the 1990s Mapsco broadened its portfolio and geographic reach. Rupe acquired Pierson Graphics in Denver in 1994, later integrating its activities with Mapsco. Mapsco also began publishing regional guides for Colorado and other western markets, secured rights covering El Paso, Ciudad Juárez, and Las Cruces in 1995, and acquired Ferguson Map Company in San Antonio in 1996. Computerized cartographic production began through a major modernization project in 1994; the company issued its first CD-ROM in 1996 and completed digital production of the Dallas guide in 1997. In 2000, it donated its map archive to the University of Texas at Arlington. Mapsco moved its corporate headquarters to Addison in 2001. In 2005 it acquired rights to the Roads of... state-atlas series, adding titles beyond its city-guide franchise. By 2010, Universal Map Group acquired Mapsco's assets from Rupe Investment Corp. The Mapsco website and online store later closed, while retail centers were reduced to locations in Addison and Fort Worth by 2015. The Kappa Map Group ceased operations in early 2022, ending the active publishing organization associated with Mapsco.

• 2022

  Associated map group closes

  [1]Mapscoen.wikipedia.org

  The Kappa Map Group ceased operations, bringing the active corporate publishing organization associated with Mapsco to an end.

• 2010

  Assets transferred to Universal Map Group

  [1]Mapscoen.wikipedia.org

  Universal Map Group acquired Mapsco's assets from Rupe Investment Corp.

• 2000

  Cartographic archive donated

  [1]Mapscoen.wikipedia.org

  Mapsco donated its complete archive to the University of Texas at Arlington.

• 1996

  Digital products introduced

  [1]Mapscoen.wikipedia.org

  The company produced its first CD-ROM map product and acquired Ferguson Map Company in San Antonio.

• 1994

  Computerized mapping modernization

  [1]Mapscoen.wikipedia.org

  Mapsco began a major project to move its cartographic updating and production processes onto computerized systems.

• 1989

  Rupe Investment ownership begins

  [1]Mapscoen.wikipedia.org

  The Kendrick family left the business and Dallas-based Rupe Investment Corp. acquired Mapsco.

• 1981

  Mapsco name restored

  [1]Mapscoen.wikipedia.org

  Handymap officially changed its name back to Mapsco and removed the Handymap name from covers.

• 1971

  Fort Worth guide launched

  [1]Mapscoen.wikipedia.org

  Handymap published its first Fort Worth street guide, expanding beyond Dallas.

• 1959

  Binding and competitive expansion

  [1]Mapscoen.wikipedia.org

  Mapsco adopted metal wire binding and acquired the JIFFYMAP maps and name.

• 1957

  Handymap succeeds the original operation

  [1]Mapscoen.wikipedia.org

  Lily and Choyce Kendrick formed Handymap and obtained the Mapsco naming rights after Milton Keith's death.

• 1956

  Public sales and municipal adoption

  [1]Mapscoen.wikipedia.org

  Dallas Mapscos became available to the general public, and the city bought copies for emergency services.

• 1955

  Page-and-grid indexing adopted

  [1]Mapscoen.wikipedia.org

  The company introduced the indexing convention that connected a page number with a lettered map grid.

• 1952

  First Dallas Street Guide published

  [1]Mapscoen.wikipedia.org

  Mapsco printed its first indexed Dallas atlas, initially producing about 3,000 copies for delivery use.

• 1948

  Delivery problem inspires a street guide

  [1]Mapscoen.wikipedia.org

  Florist Milton Boyd Keith began seeking accurate mapping after his Dallas delivery drivers repeatedly became lost.

Practical, highly indexed street-reference publishing for drivers, delivery services, emergency organizations, businesses, and local households, with a strong regional identity in Texas.

• City street atlas · 1952

  Dallas Street Guide

  Mapsco's foundational product was an indexed street atlas for Dallas and nearby Park Cities, later expanded to cover the growing metropolitan area. Its page-and-grid locator system made it useful to motorists, couriers, emergency services, taxis, and local businesses. The guide became the company's signature product and a widely recognized Dallas reference.

• City street atlas · 1971

  Fort Worth Street Guide

  Introduced in 1971, the Fort Worth guide extended Mapsco's core indexed-atlas model into the other major city of the Dallas–Fort Worth area. It was updated less extensively than the Dallas book but became part of the company's principal North Texas product range.

• City street atlas · 1993

  Austin Street Guide

  Mapsco's Austin guide began publication in 1993. Its first edition sold poorly, but later editions gained traction and were reported to be selling out by 1999 as Austin and surrounding Central Texas communities expanded.

• Regional street atlas

  Regional Texas street guides

  Mapsco produced guides for the wider Dallas–Fort Worth region, exurban counties, Central Texas, the Texas Hill Country, San Antonio, El Paso, and other markets. These publications adapted the company's indexed street-directory format to metropolitan and suburban growth patterns.

• State road atlas · 2005

  The Roads of... series

  In 2005, Mapsco acquired rights to the Roads of... state-atlas series, which originated with Roads of Texas. The portfolio included titles for Texas and several other states, including Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Kentucky.

• Digital mapping · 1996

  Mapsco CD-ROM products

  Mapsco entered digital cartography with a CD-ROM product in 1996. The initiative accompanied the broader conversion of its map-production workflow to computerized processes and preceded the fully digital production of the Dallas Street Guide.

• 2010

  Transfer Mapsco assets to Universal Map GroupM&A

  Background

  Rupe Investment Corp. had owned Mapsco since 1989.

  Action taken

  Universal Map Group, an affiliate of Kappa Media Group, acquired Mapsco's assets from Rupe Investment Corp. in March 2010.

  Aftermath

  Mapsco became part of the Kappa map-publishing group, while several retail centers were closed during the same month.

  Source

• 2005

  Acquire rights to the Roads of... atlas seriesM&A

  Background

  Mapsco was broadening beyond city street directories into state and regional travel mapping.

  Action taken

  Mapsco acquired publication rights to the Roads of... series of state atlases.

  Aftermath

  The portfolio expanded to include titles covering Texas and multiple other states.

  Source

• 1994

  Modernize cartographic productionStrategy

  Background

  Mapsco's city and regional guides required frequent updates as Sunbelt metropolitan areas expanded and street networks changed.

  Action taken

  The company began a multimillion-dollar project to move mapping and updating work to a computerized production process.

  Aftermath

  The project led to a CD-ROM product in 1996 and fully digital production of the Dallas guide in 1997.

  Source

• 1981

  Restore the Mapsco brand nameStrategy

  Background

  The company had operated under the Handymap name after the 1957 ownership transition, although the Mapsco naming rights had been acquired by the Kendrick operation.

  Action taken

  On March 31, 1981, Handymap officially changed its name back to Mapsco and removed Handymap from the atlas covers.

  Aftermath

  The restored name supported the company's expansion of retail distribution and reinforced the established Dallas identity of the street-guide franchise.

  Source

1. 1Mapscoen.wikipedia.org