1891 Map of Iowa City

About this map

Iowa City serves as the focal point of this late 19th-century survey, shown as a dense grid of streets along the Iowa River. The landscape is characterized by a high density of watercourses, with Old Man Creek winding through the southern townships and Clear Creek cutting across the central portion of the county. The early rail infrastructure is prominent, featuring the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad running west through Tiffin and the Burlington Cedar Rapids and Northern Railroad tracking south through Pleasant Valley. These routes, along with settlements like Coralville and South Liberty, illustrate the transport-driven growth patterns of Johnson County before the modern highway era. The detailed topography by W.J. Peters captures the numerous small drainages such as Pardee Creek and Rapid Creek that shaped the agricultural layout of the surrounding townships.