1906 Map of Urbana

About this map

The burgeoning rail hubs of Champaign and Urbana anchor this early twentieth-century survey of Champaign County. A dense network of steam and electric lines crisscrosses the landscape, including the Illinois Central (Chicago Division) and the C C C and St L RR (Champaign Urbana and Danville Electric), which provided essential transit for the region's agricultural economy. The grid-like township boundaries of Compromise, Rantoul, and Stanton are superimposed over the natural drainage of the Salt Fork and Spoon River. Beyond the central cities, numerous small settlements like Thomasboro, Mayview, and Sidney reflect the rural infrastructure of the day. Of particular note for local historians is the alignment of the Wabash RR and the Peoria and Eastern RR, which influenced the development of whistle-stops like Mira and Deers before the modern interstate era.