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1970 Map of Harvard

Name: 1970 Topographic Map of Harvard
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Harvard serves as the industrial and civic anchor of this 1970 survey, where the Chicago and North Western rail line bisects the landscape. The city’s urban footprint is detailed with individual landmark buildings, including a Hospital, City Hall, and several local schools like Central Sch and Jefferson Sch. Surrounding the town, the rural character of McHenry County is defined by an extensive network of gravel operations and small farm-to-market roads such as Altenburg Road and Oak Grove Road.

To the north and east, the landscape transitions into the glacial topography of Big Foot Prairie, a name spanning the Illinois-Wisconsin state line. This area preserves a legacy of early settlement through its numerous burial grounds, including Mt Auburn Cemetery and the more remote Alden Cem near the small community of Alden. The drainage patterns of Rush Creek and the Kishwaukee River North Branch illustrate the natural hydrology that shaped the development of Dunham and Alden townships during the mid-20th century.