[Property of the Indiana Harbor Belt Railway in Northern Indiana and Illinois]

Parcels of land owned by the Indiana Harbor Belt Railway during the 1950s.

This fascinating collection of eighteen maps was prepared for use by the Land and Taxation Department of Chicago and likely used when determining the tax assessments of the Indiana Harbor Belt Railway during the mid-20th century. Most are undated, but the few sheets that have revision tables or printers’ codes show a date in the early 1950s, while the I.H.B. was becoming fully integrated into the operations of the New York Central Railroad.

The series of large-scale plans, photomechanically replicated from larger (and earlier) originals, highlights major property owners, relevant infrastructure (water, gas, electricity, etc.), transportation routes, and geologic features. Individual parcels owned by the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad are outlined and numbered across each sheet.

The geographic scope of the collection extends across northern Indiana and northwest Illinois; including the southside of Chicago, Dolton, La Grange, Riverdale, Whiting, Calumet City, Blue Island, Hammond, Melrose Park, and Summit. In addition to numerous residential districts and swathes of vacant lots highlighting contemporary trends of urban decay, the region shows heavy concentrations of industry and manufacturing. Notable corporations in operation (most now defunct) include the Wood River Oil & Refining Company, International Rolling Mill Products, the Illinois Brick Company, the Spencer Chemical Company, the Reliance Iron & Steel Company, F.W. Woolworth Co., Commonwealth Edison, Grocerland Co-Op, Corn Products Refining Company, International Harvester, and William Younger Manufacturing.