{"product_id":"old-map-of-riverside-illinois-by-usgs-1928-chicago-cicero-berwyn","title":"Old Map of Riverside, Illinois by USGS, 1928 – Chicago, Cicero \u0026 Berwyn","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1928 by the United States Geological Survey, “Berwyn” captures a revealing slice of western suburban Chicago at a moment of rapid metropolitan expansion. Centered on Riverside, Illinois, and extending across Berwyn, Cicero, Stickney, Summit, Forest View, and the edge of Chicago, the map presents the area in the precise visual language of a 1:24,000 topographical survey. Roads, rail lines, waterways, built-up districts, and subtle changes in elevation are carefully differentiated, allowing the viewer to read both the natural terrain and the human systems laid across it. The result is a richly detailed portrait of an urbanizing landscape in the late 1920s, where residential suburbs, industrial corridors, transportation routes, and waterways interlocked just beyond Chicago’s dense city core.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Geological Survey brought a distinctive rigor to maps such as this, combining scientific measurement with a clean, practical cartographic style. Contour lines trace the modest but meaningful variations in elevation across the Des Plaines River valley and its surrounding plains, while color and linework distinguish streets, structures, railways, and watercourses with admirable clarity. Unlike pictorial or promotional maps, this sheet was intended as an authoritative record of terrain and infrastructure, yet its disciplined design gives it a quiet elegance. Every road alignment, stream course, and industrial footprint speaks to the USGS mission: to render the American landscape legible, measurable, and useful for engineers, planners, officials, and citizens navigating a rapidly changing nation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRiverside is one of the most historically compelling places shown on the map. Planned in the nineteenth century by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the village became famous for its curving streets, landscaped parks, and integration of residential life with natural scenery. On this 1928 map, Riverside’s distinctive plan can be appreciated within a broader regional setting, its graceful layouts contrasting with the more rectilinear street grids of Berwyn and Cicero nearby. The map records how this celebrated suburban experiment sat amid a growing network of roads, rail connections, and neighboring municipalities. It offers a fascinating view of Riverside not as an isolated landmark of landscape design, but as part of a larger suburban fabric shaped by transportation, commerce, and Chicago’s outward growth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWater is one of the defining features of the mapped area. The Des Plaines River winds through the region, joined by Salt Creek and accompanied by the engineered presence of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, one of the most consequential infrastructure projects in the history of greater Chicago. These waterways helped shape settlement patterns, industrial placement, transportation routes, and floodplain geography. The map also marks railway corridors, including lines associated with what is now the BNSF Railway, emphasizing the importance of rail in linking these suburbs to Chicago and to wider commercial networks. Industrial landmarks such as the Western Electric Company site evoke the manufacturing energy of the early twentieth century, when factories, freight lines, and working-class neighborhoods developed in close proximity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, “Berwyn” offers a vivid snapshot of the Chicago suburbs on the eve of the Great Depression. Residential development was spreading westward, municipalities were becoming increasingly connected, and the landscape bore the imprint of both natural drainage systems and ambitious human engineering. Cicero and Berwyn appear as dense, gridded communities, while Stickney, Summit, and Forest View reveal a mixture of industry, transport corridors, and open land. The careful depiction of streets and land use allows modern viewers to compare the late-1920s landscape with the metropolitan region that followed. It is a map of transition: rural remnants giving way to suburbs, waterways turned into infrastructure, and local communities becoming part of the vast urban organism of greater Chicago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRiverside, Illinois\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBerwyn, Illinois\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCicero, Illinois\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStickney, Illinois\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSummit, Illinois\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eForest View, Illinois\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChicago, Illinois\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDes Plaines River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSalt Creek\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBNSF Railway\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWestern Electric Company historical industrial site\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChicago Sanitary and Ship Canal\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious streets and roads as delineated by the map\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the US Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Riverside, Illinois and the surrounding area\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDated 1928\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished by the US Geological Survey, a scientific agency of the U.S. government known for detailed geographic information and mapping\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHighlights Riverside, Illinois, known for its historic district and notable park layouts\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows surrounding areas including Berwyn and Cicero\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFeatures clear delineation of roads, waterways, and elevation changes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses color coding to distinguish landforms, structures, land use, and elevation changes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncludes contour lines to indicate changes in elevation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvides insight into late-1920s regional development, infrastructure, and land use patterns\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows traces of early 20th-century industrial activity and residential development\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExhibits a clear, organized topographical layout characteristic of USGS mapping\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/it\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/it\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":59984990962048,"sku":null,"price":53.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":59984990994816,"sku":null,"price":142.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":59984991027584,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":59984991060352,"sku":null,"price":53.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":59984991093120,"sku":null,"price":142.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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