Historic U.S. 61: Private Driveway at Tofte
Private Driveway at Tofte
Located In: Tofte Township, Cook County, just east of the junction with Co Rd 2
Length: 0.05 miles
Historic Context: Old north shore road (pre-development)
Bypassed: 1931
Also Part Of:
Status: Intact, private driveway
Access: On the northbound side of Hwy 61, private drive, not publicly accessible.
More U.S. 61 Articles
North >> Gitchi Gami Trail - Tofte Segment
South >> Tofte Roadside Park
A tiny private driveway on the north end of Tofte is actually a surviving section of the old unpaved north shore highway. It was once part of a longer local road left behind during the construction of the first modern highway in 1931. Due to subsequent development, only the very eastern section has survived and is still in use by local residents. It is very clearly marked as a private drive.
Maps
The road as it appears today
The same location as it appeared in 1934. Note the much longer former extent of the old road.
Photos - taken in April, 2010.
Looking southwest down the surviving section of the old North Shore Highway.
Note how the old road is overgrown in the distance. Also note how the garage door is labeled as "Main Street", perhaps an indication of the road's old status? (Note, this photo was taken from the southwest end of the Tofte to Onion River segment of the Gitchi Gami Trail, which incidentally begins right at the entrance to this driveway).
