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1892 Map of Joliet

Name: 1892 Topographic Map of Joliet
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1920
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1920

About this map

Joliet serves as a major industrial and transportation hub in the late nineteenth century, where the Des Plaines River and the Illinois and Michigan Canal run parallel through the heart of the settlement. This 1890 survey by D.C. Harrison reveals a landscape defined by its waterways and a dense network of competing railroads, including the Michigan Central Railroad and the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railway.

Beyond the urban core of Lockport and Joliet, the map details a rural transition into townships like Wheatland and Troy. Notable local landmarks such as Caton Farm and small stops like Frontenac and Coynes illustrate the early settlement patterns of Will County. The branching of the Du Page River and the numerous small runs like Fraction Run and Sugar Run highlight the natural drainage that dictated the placement of early homesteads and rail lines.