Map of the Chicago Loop

Uncommon map of Chicago’s downtown during the Great Depression.

Dated using the absence of the ‘Old’ Post Office (open in 1932) and the presence of the Chicago Board of Trade (completed 1930), this map provides a detailed snapshot of the composition of the Chicago Loop in 1931. The Tribune Tower, recently completed in 1925, represents the upper limit of the image, which extends south as far as Roosevelt Road and west to Union Station.

Prominent public buildings and transportation depots are shaded, while a myriad of other buildings – hotels, restaurants, stores, theaters, and more are also labeled. The junction at State and Madison is highlighted with a star, indicating that intersection as the directional cut-off point for street names, and elevated stations are also shown with a special symbol.

The map was published in Denver by the Hotchkiss Map Company on behalf of Woodworth’s Book Store, a longtime Chicago institution whose successors still operate in northern Indiana. The firm was located on 57th Street, near the University of Chicago, and among textbook sales offered services such as developing Kodak film, the repair of fountain pens, and restringing tennis rackets!