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1985 Map of Aurora

Name: 1985 Topographic Map of Aurora
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1989
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1989

About this map

The Fox River valley serves as the primary corridor for development in this mid-1980s portrait of northern Illinois. Massive suburban expansion is evident from the dense street grids of Naperville and Wheaton westward toward Aurora, while the western reaches of De Kalb County maintain a landscape of section lines and small agricultural centers like Somonauk and Leland. This contrast highlights the period when the Chicago metropolitan area was rapidly pushing into once-rural prairies, facilitated by the East-West Tollway.

Regional infrastructure is prominently featured, including the industrial legacy of the Illinois and Michigan Canal near Joliet and the numerous rail lines of the Burlington Northern and Chicago and North Western. Local landmarks such as the State Prison at Joliet, Lewis University, and significant recreational areas like Shabbona Lake State Park provide specific points of interest for genealogists and local historians tracking the institutional and environmental footprint of the late 20th century.