1901 Map of Chicago

About this map

The dense urban grid of early 1900s Chicago radiates from the mouth of the Chicago River, revealing a city defined by its massive rail infrastructure and industrial waterways. This 1901 survey illustrates the complex hydraulic engineering of the era, showing the parallel paths of the Illinois and Michigan Canal and the Sanitary and Ship Canal as they cut southwest from the South Branch Chicago River. The shoreline of Lake Michigan is dotted with several Waterworks Crib structures, essential to the city's burgeoning water system. On the periphery, established neighborhoods like Mayfair and Chicago Lawn appear as distinct nodes within the expanding municipal limits, while expansive greenspaces such as Jackson Park and Rose Hill Cemetery provide significant landmarks. The map traces an incredible density of competing rail lines, including the Belt Line and Illinois Central R. R., which fueled the city's rapid growth as a Midwestern transport hub.