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Old Edgebrook streets, 1938
Posted by:
mp775
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Date: October 01, 2009 07:02PM
The page on <a href="http://forgottenchicago.com/features/chicago-areas/old-edgebrook/">Old Edgebrook</a> shows a 1938 map where the neighborhood's streets extend farther than they do today. Check out <a href="http://www.historicaerials.com/?poi=7638"> this 1938 aerial</a> - it doesn't look like the street extensions were ever much more than the paths through the woods that still exist (except Larcom Avenue and anything east of Central, which have all been obliterated by FPD facilities). It also looks like there was another street east of and parallel to Central that doesn't appear on the 1938 map.
Re: Old Edgebrook streets, 1938
Posted by:
jclillig
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Date: October 31, 2009 04:34AM
This is interesting, because since the Old Edgebrook page came up I've looked for evidence of the old streets every time I am in that area and it really doesn't look to me like there were ever real "streets" in some of the places the map seems to indicate.
Re: Old Edgebrook streets, 1938
Posted by:
Mr Downtown
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Date: October 31, 2009 11:02PM
Any city has a fair number of "paper streets," which were dedicated but never built. In the Chicago area, subdivision often ran 20 years or more in advance of actual development. The purchase of forest preserve land starting in 1915 and the Great Depression means that quite a few paper streets around Chicago ended up in forest preserves.
Until recently, commercial street maps generally showed dedicated streets, even if they'd never been built. Most maps showed a big subdivision on the east side of Lake Calumet, for instance, that was never anything other than marshland and didn't even connect to any existing nearby roads. USGS topographic maps can generally be trusted to show actual streets (though nowadays they show a fair number of commercial driveways as well).
Until recently, commercial street maps generally showed dedicated streets, even if they'd never been built. Most maps showed a big subdivision on the east side of Lake Calumet, for instance, that was never anything other than marshland and didn't even connect to any existing nearby roads. USGS topographic maps can generally be trusted to show actual streets (though nowadays they show a fair number of commercial driveways as well).
Re: Old Edgebrook streets, 1938
Posted by:
Nickvet419
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Date: October 07, 2011 08:21AM
historicaerials seem to be down at the moment. I'm using 2 maps to look for the lost streets. Google maps historical from 29 Apr 2005 and the chicago GIS Map Viewer https://gisapps.cityofchicago.org/mapchicago/viewer.htm which is quite accurate with new and old data.
The old data still shows up if you know how to look for it. In the GIS map click on show legend. Turn on all of property and references, then refresh map. Then keep zooming in untill you start to see the properties and right of ways show up. Now you can see where streets were or might have been planed.
Now, on the 2005 GE image you can actually see where some streets have been. If you follow Louise ave north, and into the woods. you can make out the path from ground water lining the edge of the road. Same thing for Livermore Ave. Now an easy one to make out is Hinnepin St. Most of it still exsists today as the access road to the edgebrook golf course. Another part of it still connects the golf course and the old edgebrook neighborhood although access to it is closed off.
The old data still shows up if you know how to look for it. In the GIS map click on show legend. Turn on all of property and references, then refresh map. Then keep zooming in untill you start to see the properties and right of ways show up. Now you can see where streets were or might have been planed.
Now, on the 2005 GE image you can actually see where some streets have been. If you follow Louise ave north, and into the woods. you can make out the path from ground water lining the edge of the road. Same thing for Livermore Ave. Now an easy one to make out is Hinnepin St. Most of it still exsists today as the access road to the edgebrook golf course. Another part of it still connects the golf course and the old edgebrook neighborhood although access to it is closed off.
