1928 Map of Elmhurst

About this map

Salt Creek and Addison Creek wind through a landscape of rapidly expanding suburbs and rail corridors during the late 1920s. This survey, compiled in part from Air Corps aerial photographs, shows a critical period of development for western Chicago suburbs. Established institutions like Elmhurst College and the Lutheran Orphanage sit alongside the burgeoning residential grids of Bensenville, Villa Park, and Elmhurst. The area is characterized by a dense network of major railroads, including the Chicago Milwaukee and St Paul and the interurban Chicago Aurora and Elgin Electric, which facilitated the region's transition from rural townships like Addison and York to commuter hubs. Local leisure and industry are captured through landmarks such as the Twin Orchard Country Club and a Quarry near the city center, while numerous cemeteries like Arlington Cemetery provide valuable records for family historians.