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1920 Map of Grays Lake

Name: 1920 Topographic Map of Grays Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

The Fox River and its intricate network of glacial lakes dominate this landscape in the years following the Great War. This region, characterized by its labyrinth of water bodies including Pistakee Lake, Lake Marie, and Grass Lake, shows a transition from agricultural prairie to a burgeoning resort and residential district. The presence of numerous small islands like Crabapple Island and Coon Island, alongside peninsulas such as Stanton Pt, highlights the complex shoreline that defined the local geography before mid-century development intensified.

Rural life is anchored by a dense distribution of one-room schoolhouses and small settlements. Local history researchers will find many named landmarks, from St Marys Chapel near the river to the Fort Hill School and Glynch School further inland. The rail infrastructure of the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific and the Minneapolis St Paul and Sault Ste Marie railroads provided the vital connections that linked these lakeside communities, including Fox Lake, Antioch, and Wauconda, to the broader Chicago region.