1918 Map of Rockford

About this map

Rockford expands northward along the Rock River in the years following the Great War, its industrial and residential growth tied to a dense network of rail lines including the Chicago Milwaukee and St Paul and the Chicago and Northwestern. Rural Winnebago County remains defined by a grid of schoolhouse districts, such as Whig Hill School and Bird School, and institutional sites like the Winnebago County Boys Reform School. The map reveals the early importance of electric transit, with the Rockford and Interurban Electric line connecting the city to peripheral communities like Loves Park and Roscoe. To the north, the confluence of the Sugar River and Pecatonica River highlights the natural hydrology that dictated early settlement patterns near Harrison and Shirland.