1900 Map of Toleston

About this map

Lake Michigan dominates the northern horizon of this industrializing landscape, where the sandy shoreline of northwest Indiana met the rapid expansion of late 19th-century infrastructure. The region is defined by a dense lattice of steel, as major lines like the Baltimore and Ohio R. R. and Elgin Joliet and Eastern R. R. converge on the emerging hubs of Whiting and East Chicago. Between the industrial waterfront and the southern marshes, the Grand Calumet River and Little Calumet River snake through a terrain punctuated by early settlements such as Toleston, Hessville, and Griffith. Geographer Jno. H. Renshawe helped oversee this survey, which documents the area before the heavy 20th-century urban fill altered the natural wetlands near Lake George and Bear Lake. The map reveals the intricate connection between early rail commerce and the distinctive hydrology of the Calumet region, including Hart Ditch and Deep River.