Chicago and North Western Line [Wisconsin]

An ‘ideal location for Summer Homes.’

This map beckons the audience to ‘The Great North Woods Tourist and Fishing District of Wisconsin’, located in the northernmost part of the state, adjacent to the Upper Peninsula. An inset in the lower left highlights the region, about 300 miles from Chicago, in blue. Dozens of lakes dot the primary image, with the larger examples cluttered with golf courses, resorts, and campgrounds. The seasonal tourist industry is further reinforced through several photographs of rustic outdoor adventures.

The routes of the Chicago and North Western Railway are brightly highlighted in red. The verso provides two smaller-scale maps of the company’s lines across Wisconsin. Accompanying text promises, “there are hundreds of delightful Summer Resorts and desirable locations for Summer homes along the route of the Chicago & North Western Line.”

The map was published in Chicago in 1928 by the Poole Brothers on behalf of the Chicago & North Western Railway. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw a significant boom in tourism from Chicago to the Northwoods of Wisconsin, a transformation largely catalyzed by the arrival and expansion of the railroad. Prior to the trains, the dense forests and myriad lakes of northern Wisconsin were largely inaccessible to the masses, primarily serving as a resource for the burgeoning logging industry that fed Chicago’s post-fire rebuilding efforts and growing demands for timber.

The Chicago and North Western Railway aggressively extended their tracks northward into the pineries of Wisconsin. While initially built to transport lumber, these rail lines soon opened up the “Great North Woods” to a new industry: tourism. Railroad companies actively marketed the region’s pristine natural beauty, abundant fishing, and tranquil atmosphere to a growing urban population seeking escape from the summer heat and industrial grime of cities like Chicago.