Friday, April 27, 2012

Illinois in 1940

For those who were not aware: Between 1938 and 1941 the entire state of Illinois was photographed in detail from the air, and the resulting photos are available on-line. The result is a fascinating and almost addictive source of information on the many changes that have occurred over the last 70 years. This link sends you to an index by county. The scans are available as jpeg, sid, or tif files. I find the jpegs to be more than adequate; the resolution is limited by the original photos, not the scanning.

Here, for instance, is a small part of a single photo. It shows Exposition Park, north of Aurora. No changes have been made except for cropping. This entire site was obliterated by construction of the tollway and its Rt. 31 interchange in the 50's, so this is the best information we will ever have on the layout of this popular attraction. And there are four railroad routes running through this scene.

Of course, the railroads are our main interest. It's much easier to trace the path of the Chicago Aurora and DeKalb, for instance, from the standpoint of 1940 (although the line was abandoned in 1923) than it is with modern aerial photography, in spite of its much better resolution. As I say, it can be addictive. Play responsibly.

And by the way: 1) My thanks to the Illinois State Geological Survey, Prairie Research Institute, and U of I for making this wonderful resource available!
2) I haven't tried to find if anything similar is available for other states. Further info would be appreciated.

4 comments:

Joe S. said...

Another useful site for this is http://www.historicaerials.com/

This site will allow you to view aerial photos for various years from 1938 to today. You can also overlay modern roads, which can make locating things easier.

Joe

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting the ISGS link...I'd seen these pics previously while trying to chase the E&B roadbed, but lost the link.

Dan Boylan said...

Looking at pic 75 it is interesting how the creek used to flow through the property.

Randall Hicks said...

Yes. And at the Marengo shops there are still a couple of E&B cars stored in the yard. That's what I would want!

By the way, Dan, we're eager for an exclusive first-person account of your recent adventures!