1887 Map of Cedar Rapids

About this map

Cedar Rapids serves as the focal point of this late 19th-century landscape, where the Cedar River carves a winding path through Linn County. The settlement pattern is defined by early rail hubs and agricultural centers like Ely, Shueyville, and the small community of Western. The convergence of major transit lines, including the Chicago and North Western R. R. and the Burlington Cedar Rapids and Northern Railroad, illustrates the region's importance as a Midwestern transportation corridor during the height of the steam era.