1900 Map of Toleston

About this map

Industrial expansion and rail infrastructure dominate this Lake County landscape at the beginning of the 20th century. The intricate web of the Elgin Joliet And Eastern R. R. and the Chicago Terminal Transfer R. R. cross-cuts the marshes and dunes of the southern shore of Lake Michigan. While early industrial centers like Whiting and East Chicago are established along the shoreline, the interior remains a complex network of wetlands and waterways. The parallel courses of the Grand Calumet River and Little Calumet River define the local topography, with settlements such as Toleston and Clarke Station serving as vital junctions for the numerous trunk lines moving freight toward Chicago. Genealogists will find the early footprints of towns like Highland, Griffith, and Hobart before decades of suburban growth altered the region.