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1962 Map of Elgin

Name: 1962 Topographic Map of Elgin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

The Fox River corridor anchors this mid-century survey of northeastern Illinois, documenting the suburban and industrial expansion between Elgin and Crystal Lake. The landscape reveals a dense network of educational and civic institutions, from the Elgin Academy and Dundee High School to the sprawling State Hospital complex. In the west, the rural character remains more prominent around settlements like Plato Center and Pingree Grove, where family-named landmarks and country burial grounds like Plato Center Cemetery and Washington Church Cemetery persist alongside the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroad lines.

Industrial activity is evidenced by numerous Gravel Pits clustered near the river, feeding the post-war development seen in Carpentersville and Lake in the Hills. The map captures the era's transport infrastructure, including the Crystal Lake Airport and the transition from traditional farm-to-market routes like Plank Road to more modern thoroughfares. Regional waterways such as Tyler Creek and the Kishwaukee River provide the natural drainage for this evolving agricultural and suburban terrain.