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1894 Map of Des Plaines

Name: 1894 Topographic Map of Des Plaines
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1894
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1894

About this map

The Des Plaines River corridor serves as the industrial and transit spine of this 1890s landscape, flanked by the historic Illinois and Michigan Canal and a dense network of competing railroads. This era of surveying by D.C. Harrison reveals the transition from rural townships to a series of connected railroad stops and small canal towns. The Chicago and Alton R. R. and Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe R. R. follow the water’s edge, linking early industrial hubs like Lemont and Willow Springs.

Away from the river valley, the terrain rises into the rolling uplands of Palos, Orland, and Frankfort. These areas are dotted with isolated farming settlements and post offices such as Hadley, Marley, and Alpine. The map provides a precise look at the early township boundaries, including Downers Grove and Bremen, before the rapid suburban expansion of the 20th century. Notable local features like Mount Forest and The Feeder highlight the specific hydrology that dictated early settlement patterns in this part of Cook and Will counties.