Galena and Chicago Union Railroad West Side Depot

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Galena and Chicago Union Railroad West Side Depot,
Life Span: 1848-1898
Location: Kinzie and Canal streets
Architect: J. D. Perkins

Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1866
Chicago & Northwestern Railway, C & M. R.R. Div. passenger depot, Kinzie, cor. Canal, freight depot, Indiana, cor. Jefferson. (See adv.)

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.

The West Side Depot

WellSt Depot

The West Side Depot before the third floor was added in 1863.

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