1923 Map of Joliet

About this map

The Des Plaines River corridor serves as the industrial and transportation backbone of this region during the 1920s, featuring the parallel routes of the Illinois and Michigan Canal and the Sanitary and Ship Canal. This complex waterway system, flanked by the Elgin Joliet and Eastern RR and the Chicago and Alton RR, illustrates the heavy infrastructure required to connect the Great Lakes to the Illinois River valley. Significant land use is shown at the State Penitentiary Farm north of Joliet, while smaller settlements like Plainfield and Lockport maintain their distinct identities before mid-century suburban expansion.