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1900 Map of Highwood

Name: 1900 Topographic Map of Highwood
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1913
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1913

About this map

Fort Sheridan stands prominently along the bluffs of Lake Michigan, anchoring a coastal corridor of development at the turn of the century. This landscape is defined by the sharp contrast between the established lakefront communities like Highland Park and Highwood, and the sprawling inland prairies of the Des Plaines River valley. The map reveals the intricate rail infrastructure that facilitated the growth of Cook and Lake Counties, featuring the Chicago and Northwestern R.R. and the Wisconsin Central R.R. intersecting at rural junctions.

Local history is preserved in the names of early settlements such as Shermerville and Niles Center, locations that would later undergo significant name changes or suburban expansion. Smaller agricultural hubs like Aptakisic and Half Day appear alongside family-identified landmarks such as The Grove, illustrating the transition from a farming-based economy to a network of commuter suburbs linked by rail to the larger metropolitan region.