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1929 Map of Chicago Loop

Name: 1929 Topographic Map of Chicago Loop
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

Lake Michigan dominates the eastern edge of this dense urban landscape, where the Chicago River and its North Branch snake through a tightly packed grid of streets. This era of Chicago's development is marked by sprawling greenspaces and significant institutional footprints, from the massive Rose Hill Cemetery and Graceland Cemetery to the extensive grounds of the Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium in the northwest. The lakefront features iconic public works like the Municipal Pier and the sheltered Chicago Harbor, protected by an elaborate system of breakwaters.

Industrial and social infrastructure is evident in the presence of the Chicago and North Western railroad lines and educational hubs like Loyola University. Neighborhoods such as Sauganash and the village of Tessville appear along the city's northern boundaries. The map provides a remarkable view of the city's park system, including the inner-city retreats of Humboldt Park and Garfield Park, alongside the recreational shoreline at Oak Street Beach.