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1891 Map of Riverside

Name: 1891 Topographic Map of Riverside
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1891
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1891

About this map

Des Plaines River and Chicago River dominate the landscape of western Cook County in this 1891 survey, where the rapid expansion of Chicago’s suburban fringes meets an intricate network of rail and water. The map documents a dense grid of early commuter settlements, including the planned community of Riverside and neighboring Oak Park, established along the heavy rail corridors of the Chicago Burlington and Quincy R. R. and the Chicago & N. W. Ry. A notable hydrological feature is the Ogden Ditch and California Canal, illustrating the era's significant engineering efforts to manage drainage across the low-lying prairie.

Genealogists will find many vanished place names and landmarks such as the County Farm near Jefferson Park and the settlement of Manheimer. The terrain transitions from the well-defined creek valleys of Salt Creek and Flag Creek to the developing street grids of Austin and Ridgeland. This artifact serves as a detailed record of the region before the massive industrialization and highway construction of the twentieth century.