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1900 Map of Riverside

Name: 1900 Topographic Map of Riverside
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1900
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1900

About this map

The Desplaines River valley west of Chicago serves as a massive corridor for transportation and infrastructure at the turn of the century. Large-scale civil engineering projects dominate the southern landscape, most notably the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Chicago Diversion Channel running parallel to the Old Channel. These massive waterways cut through the landscape near Summit and Mc Cook, redirecting the region's hydrology.

A dense network of competing railroads, including the Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul R. R. and the Chicago and Northwestern R. R., connects emerging commuter suburbs and industrial hubs. Local history is preserved in the detailed plotting of vanished stop names and landmarks like the Ogden Dam and Mammoth Springs. Extensive burial grounds such as Waldheim Cemetery and Forest Home Cem. are established on the river's edge, while huge logistics hubs like the Chicago Union Transfer Railroad Yards signal the area's growing role as a national rail center.