Atlas Containing Maps of the Chicago River, Illinois and its Branches Showing Result of Improvement by the U. S. Government under Direction of Major W. L. Marshall, Corps of Engineers U. S. A. 1896 to 1899

Chicago: U. S. Corps of Engineers. Good. 1899. Hardcover. Large oblong atlas approx. 22¾" x 28¾" consisting of a title leaf, index map, and 28 maps colored in outline by stencil; some small creases in the margins, several sheets with small archival repairs, and the whole with evidence of its once having been bound (stab holes evident in the gutter, maps are laid loose) ; all else good or better in original half red cloth over marbled boards, red morocco label lettered in gilt on the upper cover. Ex-Franklin Institute with bookplate and a perforated stamp in the blank margin of the title page. Uncommon atlas showing the details of the Chicago River and the adjacent roads, rail lines, canals, buildings, etc. The soundings of the river are given. The atlas begins with an index map (a fine street map that follows the Chicago River from Belmont Ave. In the north to 39th Street in the south and shows good detail along Lake Michigan's shoreline) providing an overview of the city with fifteen sections of the river highlighted in red and twelve in yellow. Red indicates work done by the U. S. Government, while yellow denotes work by the Chicago Sanitary District. The construction of a new sanitation and commercial shipping system capped a decade of growth that saw the World’s Columbian Exposition (1893) and an increase of 600,000 in the city’s population. Work on the river system spanned 4 years with a variety of governmental entities involved. The overview map depicts a portion of Lake Michigan, the branches of the Chicago River, harbors, parks, canals, street names, railroads, and stock yard slips with each of the numbered maps outlined in red and yellow. The twenty-eight maps document the dredging operations. The river is highlighted in green and river soundings appear in each section. The map scale is 1 inch to 100 feet. The work was conducted by such firms as Lydon & Drews Co. , Illinois Dredging Co. , and others under the direction of Major W. L. Marshall of the Army Corps of Engineers. Issued to accompany the report made by Marshall, not present here. Lithographed by A. B. Graham Photo Lith. Of Washington, D. C. Uncommon. ; Folio 13" - 23" tall; 30 pp .