Galena and Chicago Union Railroad Depot, Chicago & Northwestern Railway, Galena Div. Depot
Life Span: 1848-1871
Location: N. Wells cor N. Water
Architect: Unknown
D. B. Cooke & Co.’s City Directory for the Year 1859-60
Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, N. Wells cor N. Water and Great Central Depot
Halpin & Bailey’s City Directory for the Year 1863-64
Galena & Chicago Union R.R., office and passenger depot, n.w. cor. N. Wells and N. Water.
Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1866
Chicago & Northwestern Railway, Galena Div. passenger depot, Wells, cor, N. Water
Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1870-71
Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co. Passenger depot, Galena Div. 23 and 25 N. Wells.
A Strangers’ and Tourists’ Guide to the City of Chicago, 1866
The first railroad opened out of Chicago, was the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, now the Galena Division of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway. In 1848, the first portion of the road was completed, and on the 15th of December of that year, trains commenced running from Chicago to Desplaines River, a distance of ten miles. In April, 1849, the purchase of the locomotive Pioneer was formally announced to the directors, it having been received some time during the previous fall. It was the first locomotive ever brought west of Lake Michigan. The road was completed to Elgin, 41 miles, June 22, 1850. It was opened to Freeport,121 miles from Chicago,September 1, 1853. The total length of the road,including all its branches,is 490 miles. Depot, corner of North Wells and Kinzie streets.
D. B. Cooke & Co.’s City Directory for the Year 1859-60
Chicago: Its History and Its Builders, J. Seymour Currey, 1912
DEPOT ON THE WEST SIDE
The first railroad depot that was built in Chicago was a one-story wooden affair built by the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad in the fall of 1848. It stood on what is now a triangular piece of vacant ground west of Canal Street and south of Kinzie Street, and but a abort distance west of the west abutment of the city bridge that crossed the North Branch of the Chicago River at Kinzie Street.
In those days there was a narrow street named West Water Street, that ran close along the North Branch of the Chicago River and east of what is now Canal Street. This depot ran east and west and its east end was entered from this West Water Street. The depot faced the railroad tracks which were south of the depot. Whatever package freight the railroad had to handle in Chicago at this time was handled at this depot. In 1849 this building was enlarged and a portion of it was set aside for freight purposes, while the original east end was still used for passengers. A second story was added to the structure and that was surmounted with a sort of observatory. This second story was used by the officers of the road and its general office, and in it Jobn B. Turner, the president of the road, and his associates planned the extension of the road and controlled its destinies. Our cut of this depot shows the building after its enlargement. The one story (western) part of the building was the portion that was built in 1848 and was used for freight and passengers for about one year. West of the depot was what was substantially an open prairie, and from the observatory Mr. Turner often watched for the incoming of his trains, with the aid of a long, fashioned “marine” telescope that he possessed and thus could announce the coming of a train while it was yet as far away at Austin, six miles. In those days the use of the telegraph was not even dreamed of on any Western railroad.
In 1851 the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad began to purchase depot grounds east of the North Branch of the Chicago River, and in 1852 and 1853 built on the plans of and under the superintendence of J. D. Perkins. In those days a street ran along and not far north of the main Chicago River, and was named North Water Street.
- West Depot of the C&NW Railway
South of Kinzie and West of Canal streets
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
1869
- The West Side Depot
- The West Side Depot before the third floor was added in 1863.
DEPOT ON THE NORTH SIDE
The second passenger depot was built by the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad in 1852 and 1853, east and west along this North Water Street, with its east end on Wells Street. It was built of brick and was two stories high. The passenger entrance was from Wells Street, but a sort of private alley, or perhaps an unbuilt-on lot, ran south from Kinzie Sheet, and this was used to reach the depot through the baggage room. On Wells Street, and north of this second depot, was a hotel known as the Hatch House, and this private alley, or open lot, seems to have been used by the guests of this hotel as well as by the frequenters and employes of the railroad depot.
After the depot had been occupied for some time, Wells Street was filled in and raised about eight feet, and this caused the Galena company to add, in 1862-3, 30 feet in length to the building and another story to this depot, and in the room so made a portion of the general offices of the company were located. The enlarged building was 45 feet on Wells Street and 75 feet on North Water Street and was three stories high. This building remained in use until the great fire of 1871, when it went up in smoke, like much more of Chicago.
- Galena Division Depot of the C&NW Railway (North Side Depot)
SW corner Wells and Kinzie Streets Streets
Photographer: John Carbutt
- Galena and Chicago. Great Western Mail Route
1856 Advertisement.
- Galena Chicago Union Railroad
1863
- Interior of Directors’ Car of the C&NW Railway
John Carbutt #194
- ① Chicago & Northwestern Station, ② Hatch House, ③ Wright’s Hotel, ③ Maulton House
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
1869
AWESOME info! THANK YOU.