1963 Map of Elmhurst

About this map

Chicago O'Hare International Airport dominates the northeast corner of this suburban landscape, showing early radio facilities and terminals before decades of expansion. The surrounding area in the early 1960s reveals a dense network of Cook and DuPage County residential growth, punctuated by significant religious and educational institutions like the Mater Dolorosa Seminary and York High School. Transport corridors such as the Illinois State Tollway and the Chicago and North Western railroad define the boundaries between established towns like Elmhurst and Bensenville. Local history is preserved in numerous burial grounds, including the Old Settlers Cemetery and the sprawling Mt Emblem Cemetery, while the winding course of Salt Creek provides a natural break in the suburban grid. Smaller settlements like Churchville and the emerging North Lake illustrate the post-war transition of rural land into the Chicago metropolitan fringe.