1937 Map of Harvard

About this map

Harvard emerges as the central rail hub of McHenry County on this 1930s-era survey, where the Chicago and Northwestern RR creates a complex network of transportation through the landscape. The surrounding agricultural townships, including Alden, Dunham, and Hartland, are densely dotted with rural schoolhouses that serve as markers of the local community structure of the day. Named for early families and local landmarks, schools such as Burr Oak Sch, Stone Sch, and Mokeler highlight a vanished era of localized education.