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1958 Map of Rockford

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of Rockford
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

Rockford and its neighboring industrial centers along the Rock River define this regional landscape during a period of significant growth. The map illustrates the dense connectivity between Janesville, Beloit, and Freeport, showcasing the complex rail networks of the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific and Chicago and North Western railroads. Beyond the urban centers, the geography is marked by the distinct glacial features of the Kettle Moraine and numerous water bodies such as Lake Koshkonong and Lake Geneva.

Insight into the era's infrastructure is found in the emergence of the Illinois Tollway and Northwest Tollway, reflecting the shift towards automobile-centric transit that began to reshape Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. Smaller settlements like Whitewater, Fort Atkinson, and Woodstock are depicted as established hubs within an increasingly integrated interstate corridor, while recreational spaces like Rock Cut State Park appear as key landmarks on the periphery of the growing cities.