The Origins of Madison, WI
Sometimes the constraints on expansion give rise to the most interesting patterns. From Wikipedia’s article on Madison,
Madison was created in 1836 when former federal judge James Duane Doty purchased over a thousand acres (4 km²) of swamp and forest land on the isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona within the Four Lakes region with the intention of building a new city on the site.
You can see the beginnings of the developments from around 1850 quite clearly on Hindsight, both around the area between the lakes and then further out expanding West and Northeast. After inital expansion after founding the city, you can clearly see that development continued along lines defined by the isthmus. Fascinating stuff!
