1918 Map of Wilmington

About this map

The Kankakee River and Des Plaines River converge in this Illinois landscape, creating a hub of early 20th-century transport and industry. The city of Wilmington serves as a primary center along the water, while the heavy presence of rail lines like the Chicago and Alton RR and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe RR speaks to the region's importance as a freight corridor. Of particular interest to local historians is the Old Indian Boundary Line, which cuts diagonally across the townships of Florence and Wilmington, marking an earlier era of frontier demarcation. Numerous country schools, such as the Red Brick School and Troutman Grove School, are scattered across the prairie, documenting the rural social structure before mid-century consolidation changed the local geography.