1918 Map of Kirkland

About this map

The Kishwaukee River flows through a landscape defined by an intensive network of early 20th-century railroads and rural schoolhouses. Agricultural life is anchored by towns like Kirkland and Kingston, which served as vital transit points for the Chicago Milwaukee and St Paul and other lines. The map reveals a dense settlement pattern of family-named schools and small hamlets such as Irene, Fairdale, and Esmond. Local genealogy and land use are further marked by sites like the Bloods Point Cemetery and Shattucks Grove Cemetery. This survey, produced by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the War Department, documents the region just as modern road networks were beginning to augment the established steam and electric rail corridors, including the Chicago Rockford and Interurban.