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1901 Map of Des Plaines

Name: 1901 Topographic Map of Des Plaines
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1901
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1901

About this map

The Desplaines River corridor serves as the industrial and logistical backbone of this Illinois region at the turn of the century. Three distinct waterways—the Illinois and Michigan Canal, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, and the Calumet Feeder—parallel the river's course, illustrating a landscape defined by massive civil engineering efforts. This map documents a critical transition in Chicago's hinterland as rural townships like Orland and Bremen begin to coalesce around established rail hubs and canal landings.

Transit networks dominate the southern and eastern reaches, where the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad and the Wabash Railroad bisect agricultural lands. Local history interest is concentrated in smaller, early settlements like Gooding's Grove, Marley, and Hadley, which appear before suburban sprawl reshaped the area. The detailed survey also highlights geographic landmarks like Mount Forest and the specialized rail infrastructure at Sag Bridge Sta. and Summit Sta.