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1901 Map of Riverside

Name: 1901 Topographic Map of Riverside
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1901
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1901

About this map

The Desplaines River carves a central path through this landscape, which was undergoing a massive industrial and urban transformation at the turn of the century. Large-scale engineering projects are evident in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Chicago Diversion Channel near Summit, while the Chicago Union Transfer Railroad Yards demonstrate the area's role as a burgeoning transportation hub. The map captures the dense grid expansion of the Chicago City Line pushing west into Cicero and Oak Park.

Genealogists will find significant detail in the residential and burial patterns of the era, including the expansive grounds of Waldheim Cemetery and Forest Home Cem. near the banks of the river. Small, established settlements like Bensenville, Shiller Park, and Jefferson Park are shown before the post-war suburban boom fully bridged the gaps between them, providing a clear record of the region's early villages and railroad junctions.