Oak Park in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Continental Divide
Photographed by Sean Flynn, December 26, 2021
1. Continental Divide Marker
You are standing on a Continental Divide. Water falling on this line separates and runs to the west and to the east. To the west the water flows to the Des Plaines River in River Forest, on to the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and to the Gulf of Mexico. To the east, historically, the flow was to the Chicago River, to Lake Michigan, through the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. With the reversal of the flow of the Chicago River in 1900, all the water now flows to the Gulf of Mexico.
East of this line is a ridge which is the beach of ancient Lake Chicago. The high, dry ground formed by this ridge encouraged early settlement in Oak Park in 1837.
Only one point along the entire length of the Continental Divide offered the possibility of a direct connection between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds. This point was on a route used by Native Americans for centuries and known to be shared in 1673 with French explorers Fr. Jacques Marquette and fur trader Louis Joliet. Located five miles south of Oak Park, today a portion is preserved as the Chicago Portage National Historic Site. This natural connection
this page online
Erected 1999 by The Rotary Club of Oak Park River Forest.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Illinois & Michigan Canal, and the Rotary International series lists.
Location. 41° 53.319′ N, 87° 48.026′ W. Marker is in Oak Park, Illinois, in Cook County. It is on Lake Street east of Forest Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 965 Lake St, Oak Park IL 60301, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian
Photographed by Sean Flynn, December 2, 2023
2. Continental Divide Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: James Russell Lowell School (within shouting distance of this marker); Austin Gardens Environmental Center (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The History of Austin Gardens (about 400 feet away); The Nineteenth Century Club (about 500 feet away); Fibonacci (about 600 feet away); Henrietta Lacks (about 600 feet away); Henry W. Austin Memorial Plaza (about 600 feet away); Austin Gardens Woodland Habitat (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oak Park.
More about this marker. This is one of several Continental Divide markers placed around Oak Park, including one at nearby Scoville Park.
Regarding Continental Divide. The "ridge" that makes up the continental divide described here can be seen across Oak Park as a slight incline diagonal across the village.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Continental Divide Markers in Oak Park
Also see . . . The Continental Divide in Oak Park. From the Oak
Photographed by Sean Flynn, December 2, 2023
3. Continental Divide Marker
The back of the sign demarcates the continental divide between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins. Lake Street is in the rear of the marker, and in the distance is Lake Theatre, which is to the west of this marker.
Excerpt: "In Oak Park there is a ridge which runs just west of Ridgeland Avenue through Taylor Park, to near Scoville Park, and then west to Downtown Oak Park. This ridge, called the 'Oak Park Spit,' is an ancient beach. The beach was formed in glacial times--12,000 years ago--when the whole area to the east and north was covered with ancient Lake Chicago. The lake was formed by the melting glaciers. The outlet to the north was blocked by ice and the lake rose until it found a point where it could flow over the low divide and into the valley of the Des Plaines and Illinois Rivers."(Submitted on March 5, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 5, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 2, 2022, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 977 times since then and 90 times this year. Last updated on December 7, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. Photos: 1. submitted on June 2, 2022, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 2, 3. submitted on December 2, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
