1963 Map of Elmhurst

About this map

Chicago O'Hare International Airport dominates the northeastern corner of this DuPage and Cook County landscape, capturing a transformative period of post-war suburbanization. The sheet records the dense expansion of residential grids in Elmhurst, Bensenville, and Villa Park, intertwined with a complex network of transportation including the Tri-State Tollway and several rail lines such as the Chicago and North Western. This era of growth is balanced by a significant presence of institutional and memorial grounds, from Elmhurst College to a series of large cemeteries like Mt Emblem Cemetery and Arlington Cemetery. The persistence of greenspace is visible in the Forest Preserve along Salt Creek, even as industrial sites like a Quarry and various golf clubs such as Elmhurst Country Club occupy the gaps between growing residential clusters.