Real Estate Atlas of Lake Vol. 1 [and] Official Atlas of the Township of Lake Vol. 2

Lake Township at the height of the Union Stock Yards.

Lake Township was first organized in 1850 on Chicago’s South Side, encompassing the modern-day neighborhoods of Englewood, Back of the Yards, New City, and Canaryville. The Union Stock Yards were a major source of employment for local residents, leading to a swell in population in the late 19th century and the township’s eventual annexation (1889).

Though the official designation was obsolete, Lake Township remains in use for property tax assessments and real estate purposes; such as with this plat book that records property transactions from between World War I and the Great Depression. The atlas is comprised of two volumes, each with an index map and 36 sheets that capture major infrastructure (rail, sewer, streetcar lines, etc.), name prominent property owners, show plot dimensions, and catalog various updates via paste-downs and handwritten notes. Notable buildings, local industries, parks, and geographic features are also labeled throughout.

The first volume was drafted by L.F. Barnes using surveys provided by the Greeley-Howard-Norlin Company. It was published in Chicago in 1917 by the Real Estate Map Publishing Company and notes updates through December of 1930, according to the revision schedule on the title page. The second volume, dated 1921 and also by the Real Estate Map Publishing Company, features plans drawn under the supervision of Seth M. Gooder and includes a ward map of Chicago on the title page/index.