Published in 1928 by the U.S. Geological Survey, “River Forest” presents Oak Park, River Forest, and their western Chicago surroundings at the revealing 1:24,000 topographic scale. It is a portrait of a metropolitan edge at a decisive moment: suburban streets had been laid out with confidence, rail and road corridors were binding communities to Chicago, and yet the Desplaines River, parklands, and subtle contours still shaped the character of the landscape. The USGS’s disciplined cartographic language gives the sheet both scientific authority and period charm, using contour lines, waterways, roads, and built-up areas to show how settlement fitted itself around terrain, transportation, and civic planning.

Oak Park and River Forest occupy the heart of the map, their gridded residential blocks rendered with the clarity that made USGS quadrangles indispensable to engineers, planners, and public agencies. In 1928, Oak Park was already a celebrated suburb, associated with progressive domestic architecture and a dense fabric of streets, schools, churches, and parks. River Forest, immediately to the west, appears as a more spacious but equally ordered community, its urban form shaped by broad avenues and proximity to the Desplaines River corridor. Together they reveal the evolution of Chicago’s inner suburbs: not rural villages, but carefully organized commuter landscapes where residential growth, transport access, and civic amenities had become closely intertwined.

The map’s design is at once practical and elegant. Roads are emphasized with solid red lines, allowing major routes such as Harlem Avenue, Madison Street, Division Street, Cicero Avenue, and La Grange Road to stand out within the intricacy of local streets. The topographic contours quietly describe a landscape of modest relief, while blue waterways trace the natural drainage that predates the suburban grid. Populated areas, open spaces, and transport lines are distinguished through the USGS’s restrained color system, producing a composition that is legible, balanced, and rich in information. This combination of precision and visual economy is characteristic of American topographic mapping in the interwar period.

Beyond Oak Park and River Forest, the sheet reaches into neighboring communities and landmarks that anchor the western side of Chicago. Elmwood Park, Norwood Park, Melrose Park, Forest Park, and Riverside appear within a broader suburban mosaic, each tied to the region’s expanding road network. The Desplaines River provides one of the strongest natural features, bending through the mapped area and shaping adjacent parklands and low-lying ground. Brookfield Zoo and Riverside Park add further historical interest, reflecting the era’s emphasis on public recreation, landscaped environments, and access to open space. These features make the map not only a survey of terrain, but also a record of civic aspiration.

As a historical document, “River Forest” captures a landscape in transition between the older geography of rivers, roads, and village centers and the modern pattern of dense suburban development. Many blocks, parks, institutions, and corridors shown here have since been altered, expanded, renamed, or absorbed into the continuous fabric of metropolitan Chicago. The map invites comparison between past and present: where open land has disappeared, where streets remain unchanged, and where natural features continue to exert influence beneath the built environment. For collectors drawn to urban history, American planning, or the Chicago region, it offers a finely detailed glimpse of 1928 life on the city’s western threshold.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Oak Park
• River Forest
• Norwood Park
• Elmwood Park
• Desplaines River
• La Grange Road
• Harlem Avenue
• Division Street
• Madison Street
• Melrose Park
• Cicero Avenue
• Forest Park
• Brookfield Zoo
• Riverside Park
• Numerous residential blocks and streets within Oak Park and River Forest areas

Historical context & cartographic details

• Published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
• Produced in 1928
• Historical 1:24,000 scale topographical map
• Illustrates Oak Park, Illinois, and its surroundings
• The USGS is known for comprehensive geographic information and topographic maps used in land management, urban planning, and environmental studies
• Uses a distinct color scheme to show topographic features, including contours, waterways, and populated areas
• Roads are shown with solid red lines for a clear functional layout
• Elevation and terrain are represented through contour lines
• Highlights nearby waterways and small hills, reflecting the area’s natural landscape
• Provides a snapshot of the area in 1928, showing how urban development and infrastructure have changed over time
• Some buildings and parks shown on the map may no longer exist or may have been altered in appearance

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed 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.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every 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.

With 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 rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.