1968 Map of Fairdale

About this map

The South Branch Kishwaukee River winds through the northern corner of this mid-1960s landscape, serving as a focal point for the small community of Fairdale and the nearby Camp Rotary McQueen. This territory at the boundary of Ogle Co De Kalb Co is defined by a dense grid of rural roads and competing rail lines. The Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific runs through the northern half, passing Monroe Center, while the Chicago and North Western cuts across the south through Esmond. Genealogists will find several rural burial grounds preserved in this agricultural landscape, including Roseland Cem, Porter Cem, and Greenview Cem. Numerous gravel pits and quarries dot the terrain, particularly near the river and along Irene Road, highlighting the local extraction industry of the era.