Chicago Sunday Tribune, May 19, 1895
THE most important development of electric transportation lines now going on in anywhere in the world is nearing completion in Chicago. The electric lines built here within the last year, or to be completed within the next few months, if stretched out in a line would make a double-track railroad from here to Omaha. Chicago was slow to accept electricity as a motive power for surface transportation, and by that hesitation have profited much. The equipment of electric lines now being built is of the best improved type. The character of the structure, the speed, ease, and safety of operation, the improvements in the method of construction, all show the valuable lessons which the experience of other cities has taught. The street railway equipment in Chicago will probably serve for some time as a model.
A year ago the first outward sign was given of the conversions of horse car lines into electric roads on the Yerkes system. The first poles were set less than a year ago. It is indeed but a little over twelve months since the electrical department was organized, and J. R. Chapman was brought here from Grand Rapids to take charge of the work. Within that year as great wonders have been accomplished by General Manager Chapman and Electrician August Hansen in the way of quick mechanical designing and construction as were in some of the departments of the World’s Fair building. The Yerkes system alone will, when the work at present in hand is completed, have a total street mileage of 161.02 miles of electric line, or about 300 miles of single track.
Electric Car Clearance and Under View of C&NW Bridge Floor at Lincoln Avenue.
About 1898
The first of these new lines was opened a few weeks ago. Within the next thirty days many more of the trolley lines will be put in operation, and during the summer the whole great work of equipping with electricity the entire 300 miles will be practically completed. When finished there will be five power stations, capable of developing over 25,000 horse power. There will have displaced 10,000 head of horses where the trolley cars have taken the place of the old horse-car lines, and there will have been constructed many miles of entirely new lines where electricity will be the motive power.
The extent of this electric development, its importance both in its bearing upon the growth of the street railway business and upon the real estate development and future growth of the city, are as yet little understood by the citizens. In the history of Chicago there has seldom been a single factor of more significance or one that will have a more far-reaching effect in shaping the growth and development of the city than the great network of electric lines, which bring quick communication with the business center miles upon miles of territory heretofore shut out almost entirely from any reasonably rapid transportation facilities. Any one who wishes form an intelligent idea of the direction and development the city’s growth is to take in the next few years must make a systematic study of the work that is now being done, of the direction in which the trolley lines are being stretched, and of the revolution in transportation methods which the rapidly moving trolley cars bring.
The development is already following with great rapidity the direction of the few lines now started. The electric line out the old Elston road, for instance, was started only a few weeks ago, and it ran into a territory which has long offered many natural advantages, but has been provided with poor transportation facilities. The number of new roofs that are now to be seen from an Elston avenue car window are to be counted by the hundreds. There are places along the line where the country is white with new pine lumber. The new homes are not costly, but each one of them will soon contain a family, and every family is worth at least $30 a year to a street railway company. The next census will show an astonishing development of population throughout those sections where the new electric lines have pushed their way.
The development of electric transportation interests in Chicago, of course, is not confined to the Yerkes system, although that is the most important single interest. The City railway has equipped many miles of electric road; there has been a great development south of the City railway’s territory in the Calumet region. The Metropolitan Elevated railroad is to be included, that being the first important elevated railroad in the world to be operated with electric motive power. Taken altogether, the development of electric transportation interests in Chicago now nearing completion forms one of the most notable movements to be found at any time in the city’s growth.
The map which accompanies this article shows the complete mileage of the system. It indicates how fully the territory is covered, and shows the direction in which the new development is going on. The ownership of the various companies is indicated by different lines in the drawing. It should be noted that every line in the drawing is a street railway line. There are no lines to indicate streets unoccupied by street railways, horse car lines, section lines, or other divisions on an ordinary map. Neither are any of these lines merely projected street railroads. All of them are already completed or their construction is well under way and will, with hardly an exception, be completed before autumn. When it is remembered that practically all this work of converting the horse car lines into electric lines and the extending of the trolley system has been mapped out and executed within a year the rapidity of the development becomes apparent. When the extent of the electric lines is compared with the mileage of the cable lines the importance of the increased transportation facilities can be seen. The cable lines simply form the trunk lines of the system, bringing the passengers into the business district, while the electric lines form the vast network of feeders. A four-mile circle from the Court-House, taking in Kedzie avenue in the west and Belmont avenue on the north, includes by far the greater part of the system. The Lincoln avenue, Milwaukee avenue, and Elston avenue lines terminate six or seven miles from the center of the city, and the Evanston line gives a twelve-mile ride from the business center.
Mr. Chapman was asked:
- When will the electric work on the whole road be completed?
Mr. Chapman’s way of answering is as follows:
- At what point can the system be said to be completed? No one can say when this work is to be completed any more than they can say when the development of the system, or, what is the same thing, the development of Chicago, is to stop. Rapid as the work has been the development of plans has been more rapid still. Many new franchises have been obtained during the year; many new plans have been evolved. It seems to be the aim to completely serve this whole great district; and to do that there must be continued development and continued construction. The work that is now in hand will be completed in large measure this year. There are now, comparatively, but a few miles of the electric road in operation. Some new lines will be started tomorrow, and for the next thirty days there will be new lines put in operation every day or two; in a month from now a large portion of the system will be operated by electricity. The work is being pushed on every portion of the construction just as fast as possible, and just as fast as possible the new lines will be started up.
Besides greatly increasing the facilities for the transportation of passengers, the equipment of these roads with electricity will make as marked a decrease in the operating expenses. It costs to operate a horse car from 18 to 22 cents a car mile. An electric road can be operated at 8 cents a car mile, and the average for the whole system, including the more expensive operation of the lines in the most thickly settled districts will not exceed 10 cents a car mile. The cost of operation, then, is to be cut in two. The experience of those lines already started would indicate that the traffic on that part of the system converted from horse cars to electricity is to be doubled. As an illustration of how great the saving in expense is to be, it might be said that the West Chicago Street railroad company paid just a little less than $2,000,000 to operate the horse car lines last year. When the horses are replaced by the electric motors there will be a clear saving of $1,000,000 a year in the cost of producing the same service.
Chicago Sunday Tribune, May 19, 1895
The whole system as at present outlined comprises a little less than 200 miles of streets. To be exact, there is now either completed or well under way 196.93 miles of streets. The track mileage will be nearly double that, for in nearly every case there are two tracks on a street. Of this total 161 miles of streets are equipped with electricity, twenty-four with cable, and nearly twelve will continue to be operated by horses. The mileage of the West Chicago system is of course the greatest; that of the North Chicago comes next; and then the Chicago and Proviso. This latter road now has nearly eighteen miles of electric line, but will before long have a great addition to that mileage. The plans of the company contemplate the construction of lines which will serve completely the territory through which it passes. That indeed may be said of all the companies, and the table of mileage which is given herewith will probably not long hold good as an accurate index to the system.
There has been prepared in the following table the most comprehensive view of the lines of the Yerkes system that has ever been made public. The figures are official and they show in complete detail the location and mileage of every rod of track belonging to the surface company now comprising the Yerkes system. One cannot but be struck by the great number of streets traversed by the complete gridironing of the territory covered and by the comprehensive way in which the system has been planned so as to hold in its grasp the territory as against any newcomers. Some of these companies which now make the system were organized as competitors and made such progress in securing right of way that the projectors of the lines at last forced a market from the people interested in the existing roads.
The details of the mileage of the companies which make up the system are as follows:
The mileage of the various companies which is given in detail in the foregoing tables has been aggregated in the table which is given below. It is to be remembered that the mileage here given is the street mileage and that these figures are in nearly all cases to be doubled in order to make comparisons with the terms generally used in speaking of track mileage, because in nearly all cases this street mileage consists of double track. The aggregate mileage of the various companies and the total mileage of the system are shown below:
What is known as the Yerkes system of surface transportation companies in Chicago now includes ten distinct corporations. They are built around the nucleus of the Chicago Street railroad company and the North Chicago Street railroad company, and are all intimately connected with those two corporations. Charles T. Yerkes and D. H. Louderback are the controlling spirits in all of them. The aggregate capital, measured by its par value and not by its market quotations, which would be far above the par value, will now aggregate, stock and bonds, nearly $60,000,000, and before the completion of the work at present in hand will probably fully reach that figure. Only eight oif the ten companies now have securities outstanding. The Ogden Electric Street railway company, which is to connect with the Cicero and Proviso system and build in the direction of Riverside, has as yet issued no securities, although the plans are well in hand for the early construction of the line. The Lake Shore Electric railroad company has been incorporated with a capital of $10,000,000 and with the purpose of extending in the direction of Milwaukee the line which now runs to Evanston. No definite steps have yet been taken with that enterprise, and its capital is not included in the $60,000,000 figure. There might also be added in any total figures showing the aggregate capitalization of the Yerkes transportation system the Lake Street Elevated railroad with bonds and stock of $17,150,000, and the Northwestern Elevated railroad with an authorized issue of $30,000,000 of bonds and stock. The grand total then would carry the capitalization of the Yerkes transportation system up to nearly $125,000,000.
The surface companies whose securities are now outstanding and who are represented in the electric development now in hand are the following:
These roads are all intimately connected, the controlling interest in each company is practically the same, the plans for their development have all been drawn with an idea to the harmonious development of the whole system, and they do in fact, in unity of management and control, practically form a single transportation system. The North Chicago and the West Chicago cable roads are the main trunk lines. All the other lines are constructed so as to feed the two old systems. In some cases the old companies have guaranteed the securities of the new ones, close traffic contracts bind them together, and their interests are identical throughout.
Chicago Sunday Tribune, May 19, 1895
When all the present plans of the Yerkes system are carried out the horses will almost cease to be a factor in the street car transportation facilities of Chicago. As planned now all horse car lines with the exception of a few on the North Side and a few on the West Side will be run by electricity. This means a saving of 10,000 horses to the companies of this system, and it has been said that in all 100,000 horses which were in use a few years ago will be cut down to considerably less than 10,000. The old horses are being sold, at least such of them as not needed. If a horse has not been used too long on a street car it is considered valuable to drive an express wagon or to do other work of like character. Where a horse has grown so old as to be practically valueless it becomes food for human beings. There is a regular market price for horses at the Union Stock-Yards, where they are killed and the meat shipped to certain foreign countries. There is a suspicion that some of this meat finds its way into Chicago markets, though this is denied by all who are interested in the sale or purchase of the worn-out animals. The West Side alone has made a saving of 6,000 horses, which were in regular use on its various lines, while the North has done away with nearly or all of 4,000. It will thus be seen that in addition of giving people much better and much more rapid transportation it makes a big saving to the street car companies in the purchase of horses and in the buying of feed for them.
Chicago Sunday Tribune, May 19, 1895
Five power stations will supply the current for running the cars on the various electric lines of the North and West Sides. These power stations are of different sizes and capacities, meeting the present, and, it is intended, the future requirements of the territory served by the lines the power for which is taken from the station. They are all being built according to the latest approved designs for electrical equipment and every improvement known at the present day is being added.
First, in importance, because of its location and its capacity, is the Western avenue power house, at Western avenue and Washington boulevard. The first engine on this line will be running by June 1, and Sept. 1 it will be completed. It will develop 12,000 horse power from six direct connected dynamos of 2,000 horse power each. It will fuenish power for sixty-five miles of street and will run 500 cars in round numbers. There is no power station in the world which exceeds it in capacity and only one which equals it, that one being in Brooklyn. The electric lines for which it will furnish current are Western avenue, Robey street, Ashland avenue, Division street, Chicago avenue, Indiana street, Van Buren street, Harrison street, Taylor street, Twelfth street, Ogden avenue, Fourteenth street, Eighteenth sstreet, Tweenty-first street, and the new Twenty-sixth street line, besides a network of shorter lines.
The Garden City station of the Chicago Electric company is located at Roscoe street and California avenue. It has four units of 700 horse power each, having the direct connected engines and dynamos, and there is floor space for two more units, which can be increased to nine. It operates the Elston, Milwaukee, and Lincoln avenue lines, North avenue and all territory lying north of North avenue, except what is operated by the North Shore plant.
The North Chicago street railroad company has changed practically all its horse car lines to electric lines. The station from which power will be received for these lines is located on Hawthorne avenue, at the head of Hobble street, directly on the canal. This station is to have four units of 1,000 horse power each, three of which are now being put in, and will be ready for service July 1. This will run the lines of Larrabee, Sedgwick, State, Division, and all the streets east of the Chicago River, south of Division, and also Market and Kinzie streets.
The Chicago and North Shore Electric, the Evanston line, has a power station on North Halsted street, near Lawrence avenue. This was built in 1893, and the improvements which have been made in the last two years are lacking in this station, though when it was put up it was one of the model stations of the country. The engines and dynamos are separate, having been constructed previous to the days of direct connection. The present capacity of this plant is 800 horse-power, and there is floor room to double the capacity. It operates the Evanston line, the North Clark line, the Southport line, and Sheffield avenue lines.
The fifth on the list is the power station of the Cicero and Proviso. It is located between Austin and Ridgeland and on West Lake street in the Town of Cicero. It was built in 1891 and has been outgrown by the rapid extension of car lines through that section of the city. It is now being reconstructed into a thoroughly modern station which will have a total capacity of 5,000 horse-power. Of this amount 2,000 has already been put in, and the whole building will be ready for service by October. It is to operate the present lines of the Cicero and Proviso, to Oak Park and Maywood, by way of Lake street. It will also operate the lines of the Ogden street railway company on West Twenty-sixth street and on various other streets in this territory.
Many of the horse barns of the street railway lines have been made over into car barns to accommodate the large number of trailers and motor cars now being run or to be run on the electric lines. In addition to this it has been found necessary to construct several new buildings for storing cars. There is a large one on the Elston avenue line with a capacity for 100 cars, and it is provided with an electric elevator and electrical heating apparatus, thus doing away with fire in the building.
The electrical equipment of the North and West Chicago lines and the allied companies has been done under the charge of J. R. Chapman, who is the manager of the electrical department. Many new inventions have been put into use on these lines for the first time, and a great deal of experimenting has been done in order to determine the best manner in which to construct the work. A cut-out system is employed at nearly all the railroad crossings, which reduces to a minimum the danger of a collision. Connected with the semaphore arms or with the crossing gates are wires leading up into the tower where the gateman is stationed, which absolutely control a section of the wire on either side of the tracks. When a train is approaching and the gates are let down this section of the wire is automatically cut off and the car is thus cut off from the current. If the motorman should not be attending to his business and should fail to see the signals displayed for him to stop it would make no particular difference. The motive power would be cut off and the car would come to a standstill until the gates were put up after the train has passed. The putting up of the gates would automatically make connection withe the section which had been cut out and the motorman could run his car again.
Chicago City Railway Co. Car No. 2176
Built by Pullman
1896
Street Railway Review, December 15, 1896
Chicago City Railway New Power House.
In our issue of last July we made brief mention of the plans of the Chicago City Railway for its new power house at Forty-ninth street and Oakley avenue, and we are now able to present further details of this immense undertaking, which is being carried out under the supervision of Robert J. Hill, chief engineer. It is the the largest railway powerhouse building in the world and in horse-power capacity is actually to any yet planned having a rated output at the switchboard of 11,528 horse-power. The great size of building, however, is due partly to the fact that rope drive is used in place of the now usual practice of direct connection. The building is 209 by 266 feet. The boiler room is 99 by 266 and the engine room 110 by 266. The walls rise 40 feet above the ground and the roof is of the type and arrangement indicated in the plans. On account of the size and height of the building it was made a steel frame structure similar to modern office buildings. As the general arrangement of apparatus inside the station is nearly the same as that at the company’s Fifty-second street station, which we have fully described, it will not be necessary to go into great detail.
Chicago City Railway
Power House Elevation
1898
One-half of the ultimate capacity of the power house is being installed at present, but we will describe the station as it will be when completely finished.
The boiler room is to contain 8 horizontal return line boilers 6½ by 20 feet. Half of these boilers will deliver their smoke to a stack at one end of the building, and the remainder to a stack at the other end. Each of these stacks is to be 200 feet high with a 11-foot flue. The base is 25 feet square. The coal siding of the steam road on which the plant is located passes between one of the stacks and the boiler room. There are two tracks—one for removal of ashes, the other for the coal supply. The coal is to be carried by a John T. Mead & Co. conveyer, and distributed to the coal tanks running the length of the boiler room. The tanks are directly over the boiler front, and from them the coal is piped down to the Murphy smokeless furnaces. Under the furnaces run the tracks of the ash-conveying apparatus, which is a pari of the same system as the coal conveyor. With reference to piping, the boilers are divided into eight banks of six each. Each bank feeds into a header and each header is joined to the others by curved copper connections. Each division is separated by valves, so that the station is protected against breakdowns of any portion. The main header from which the engines draw their supply is 3½ feet in diameter. The exhaust piping is all under the floor in the engine room, and will rise in the boiler room through three 4-foot exhaust pipes each 130 feet high. Three Baragwanath exhaust heaters of 2,000-horse-power are used. Exhaust feed water injectors are employed, as in all Mr. Hill’s plants. In the engine room there are to be six simple double engines running 77 revolutions per minute, with two cylinders, each 36 by 60 inches. Each pair of cylinders drives a 20-foot fly wheel. This fly wheel drives by a Hoadley rope drive a short jack shaft. On each end of each jack shaft is a clutch which connects with an 800 kilowatt Walker generator. When the station is finished there will be six pairs of\ generators and six double engines. The engines are fitted with a valve gear designed by Mr. Hill, and used with success in the company’s other electric plant. They have Sweet separators. The switchboard is to be elevated on a gallery running parallel with the row of generators. The generator panels will occupy the center and the feeder panels the extreme ends. The plans are made for 112 feeder panels. Walker switchboard panels are being put in, this being the first large Walker railway switchboard to be installed, as the Walker Company now has facilities for making such goods at its New Haven plant. The foundations for this immense work were put in by Clift Wise, contractor, of Chicago.
Street Railway Review, July 15, 1900
Power Station of the Northwestern Elevated Railroad, Chicago.
The power plant of the Northwestern Elevated Railroad Co., of Chicago, now approaching completion, is the sixth of the great stations for generating electric power which have been built by the Yerkes interests in developing the urban transportation systems of the north and west divisions of the city, and is no exception to the others in embodying the latest and best practice in all that is conducive to economical operation. The original plans for the mechanical features of this station were drawn by the late Mr. Salvator Potis, jr., who also designed the other Yerkes plants; the electrical equipment of the station was designed by Mr. J. K. Chapman, electrical engineer’ for the Yerkes elevated roads and for the Chicago Union Traction Co., and he has made some changes in the plans as first adopted. The engineer in charge of the work was Mr. Z. E. Knapp.
Power Plant of the Northwestern Elevated Railroad Co.
Fullerton Ave., near Southport Ave.
The building is on Fullerton Ave., near Southport Ave., about 3,000 feet west of the elevated structure and about midway between the two extremities of the line. It is of yellow brick with concrete roof and checkered steel floor. The outside dimensions of
the building are J54 feet 10 inches by 112 feet; a longitudinal wall separates the boiler and engine rooms. The basement floor is 9 feet 4 inches below and the coping of the side walls 49 feet 6 inches above the street level. The basement is 12 feet 4 inches high, and extends under the entire building: it is finished in granitoid with a concrete floor. At the south end of the building the basement extends out to the curb line.
The boiler room is 50 feet 2 inches wide inside: it contains 12 Habcock & Wilcox water-tube boilers set in batteries of two, with extended-front Murphy automatic smokeless furnaces. From the furnace front to the west wall is 13 feet, and behind the boilers is a passageway 4 feet 7 inches wide. The floors of the engine and boiler rooms arc at the same level, and the height from the floor to the bottom of the root trusses, 38 feet 4½ inches, is the same in both rooms, The basement under the boiler room contains the smoke flues and the blow-off piping, and the ash conveying machinery will also be placed there.
The three boiler feed water pumps, which arc of the vertical duplex admiralty type made by the Henry H. Worthington Co., are in the basement just west of the stack.
South of the stack in the boiler room arc two 2,000 horsepower Berryman feed water heaters; the condenser is between the stack and the partition wall of the building. The exhaust from the feed and air pumps is taken to these heaters, which may be connected in scries or in multiple, one or both used, or both cut out.
One of the most interesting features of the boiler installation is the steam header which is shown in plan in Fig. 9. This header consists of six lengths of 28-inch wrought iron lap welded pipe with the flanges welded on; it is divided into three sections each about 50 feet long, and each of these sections is anchored near its middle point as indicated in the drawing.
The space between two sections is about 14 feet and across this is the expansion connection made of four Us of 8-inch steel pipe. The four U’s enter a multiple cross-header at each end. and these cross-headers are each connected to the adjacent section of 28-inch pipe by a 16-inch Chapman gate valve. The branches to the engines are 8-inch for the small engine and 12-inch for the large ones. An auxiliary steam header 6 inches in diameter and tapping each section of the main header is provided for the auxiliary machinery.
The feed water supply pipes are in duplicate and are carried on top of the boilers. The stems of those valves which are to be used habitually are connected through universal joints to long rods which extend down to the front of the furnaces where they are within reach of the boiler room attendants.
The flue dampers being at the rear end of the boiler settings, Mr. Chapman designed an ingenious arrangement for manipulating ihcm from the furnace front. The damper shaft from each boiler projects through the wall of the setting, and is fitted with a quadrant of gear teeth; meshing with the teeth of the quadrant is a worm, the shaft of which extends through the extended combustion chamber and in front of the boilers terminates in a handwheel.
The center line of the stack is 215 feet from the south wall of the building; when the extension ultimately contemplated is com-
1912 Rand McNally Street Railway Directory
Although routes have been added, removed and changed, the descriptions below are representative of the street car track layouts.
CHICAGO RAILWAYS CO. LINES. West Division.
1 ARMITAGE AVENUE LINE.
Route—Fifth avenue, Randolph, Dearborn and Washington loop, north on Fifth avenue to Randolph street, west to Desplaines, north to Milwaukee avenue, northwest to Armitage, west to Forty-fourth avenue.
2 ASHLAND AVENUE AND PAULINA STREET LINE. (Through Route No. S.)
Leave Seventy-first street and Ashland avenue.
Route—North on Ashland avenue to Twelfth street, west to Paulina north to West Lake, east to Ashland avenue, north to Clybourn place.
3 ASHLAND AVENUE—PAULINA STREET LINE.
Leave West Twenty-second street and Ashland avenue.
Route—North on Ashland avenue to West Twelfth street, west to Paulina, east on West Lake to Ashland avenue, north to Clybourn place.
4 BLUE ISLAND AVENUE LINE.
Route—Harrison, Dearborn, Adams and Fifth avenue loop to Harrison, west on Harrison to Blue Island avenue, southwest to Twenty-sixth, west to Forty-sixth avenue (City Limits).
5 WEST CHICAGO AVENUE LINE.
Route—Dearborn, Randolph, State loop to Lake street, west on Lake street to Milwaukee avenue, northwest to Chicago avenue, west to Sixtieth avenue.
6 COLORADO AVENUE LINE.
Leave West Madison street and South California avenue. Route—Southwest on Colorado avenue to South Fortieth avenue.
7 DIVISION STREET LINE (WEST).
Route— State, Randolph, Dearborn, Lake street loop, west on Lake street to Desplaines, north to Milwaukee avenue, northwest to Division, west to Mozart (west of California avenue).
8 ERIE AND SANGAMON LINE.
Leave Ashland and Erie streets.
Route—East on Erie to Centre avenue, south to Austin avenue, east to Sangamon, south to West Adams, west to Centre avenue, south to West Twenty-first street.
9 EIGHTEENTH STREET LINE.
Leave State and Eighteenth streets.
Route—West on Eighteenth street to South Leavitt street, south to Blue Island avenue.
10 FOURTEENTH STREET LINE
Leave Twelfth street and Wabash avenue.
Route—West on Twelfth street to South Canal street, south to West Fourteenth street, west to South Robey street, north to Twelfth street, west to Fortieth avenue.
11 GRAND AVENUE LINE.
Route—Lake, State, Randolph, Dearborn to Lake street loop, west on Lake street to Halsted, north to Grand avenue, west and northwest to North Fortieth avenue, north to West North avenue, west to Grand avenue, northwest to Seventy-second avenue (Montclaire).
12 HALSTED STREET LINE. (Through Route No. 24.)
Leave Halsted and Division streets.
Route—South on Halsted street to Sixty-ninth street.
13 HARRISON STREET LINE— VIA CENTRE AVENUE.
Leave State and Adams streets.
Route—West on Adams street to South Centre avenue, south to West Harrison street, west to South Fortieth avenue.
14 HARRISON STREET LINE.
Leave State and Harrison streets.
Route—West on Harrison street to South Fortieth avenue.
15 KEDZIE AVENUE LINE.
Leave California and Belmont avenues.
Route—South on California avenue to Chicago avenue, west to Kedzie avenue, south to Twenty-second street.
16 LAKE STREET LINE.
Route—Dearborn, Randolph, State street loop to Lake street, west on Lake to Sixtieth avenue.
17 MADISON STREET LINE.
Route—Franklin, Washington, State street loop to Madison street, west on Madison to Sixtieth avenue (City Limits).
18 MILWAUKEE AVENUE LINE.
Route—Washington, State. Madison street loop to Fifth avenue, north on Fifth avenue to Washington west to Despiaines, north to Mllwaukee avenue, northwest to one block north of Lawrence avenue (Jefferson Park) .
19 OGDEN AVENUE LINE.
Leave State and Randolph streets.
Route—South on State street to Washington street, west to Fifth avenue, north to Randolph street, west to Ogden avenue, thence southwest on Ogden avenue to South Forty-sixth avenue.
20 ROBEY STREET LINE.
Leave Fullerton avenue and North Robey street.
Route—South on North Robey street to Blue Island avenue.
22 TAYLOR STREET LINE.
Route—Michigan, Orleans, Kinzie street loop to Wells street, south on Wells street and Fifth avenue to Taylor, west to Western avenue.
23 TWELFTH STREET LINE.
Route—Van Buren, Dearborn, Adams street loop to Fifth avenue, south on Fifth avenue to Washington, west via tunnel to Clinton, south to Harrison, east to Canal, south to Twelfth, west to Sixtieth avenue.
24 TWELFTH STREET LINE.
Leave Twelfth street and Wabash avenue.
Route—West on Twelfth street to Fortieth avenue.
25 TWENTY-FIRST STREET LINE.
Route—Franklin, Madison, Dearborn, Adams street loop to Clinton, south on Clinton to Harrison, east to Canal, south to Canalport, south west to Halsted, south to Twenty-first, west to Marshall boulevard.
26 VAN BUREN STREET LINE.
Leave State and Van Buren streets.
Route— West on Van Buren street to South Kedzle avenue.
28 WESTERN AVENUE LINE.
Leave Roscoe and Western avenues.
Route—South on Western avenue to West Twenty-sixth street.
CHICAG0 RAILWAYS COMPANY. North Division.
30 ASHLAND AVENUE LINE.
Leave Lincoln and Belmont avenues.
Route—North on North Ashland avenue to Irving Park Boulevard.
31 CHICAGO AVENUE TO HUMBOLDT PARK LINE.
Leave North Clark street and Chicago avenue.
Route—West on Chicago avenue to North California avenue, north to Division (Humboldt Park).
32 CLARK STREET.
Route— La Salle, Monroe, Dearborn, Randolph street loop, to Clark street, north on Clark street to Howard avenue (City Limits).
33 CLYBOURN AVENUE LINE.
Leave Clyboum and Belmont avenues.
Route—South on Clybourn to Division, east to Wells, south to Kinzie, east to Dearborn, south to Washington, west to Fifth avenue, north lo Kinzie.
34 DIVISION STREET LINE (EAST).
Leave Clybourn avenue and Division street.
Route—West on Division street to Mozart street. Transfers to and from Clybourn avenue line.
35 EVANSTON AVENUE LINE.
Route— La Salle, Monroe, Dearborn, Randolph street loop, to Clark street, north to Evanston avenue, north to Devon avenue.
36 ELM-FRANKLIN STREET LINE
From Crosby and Elm east to Franklin, south to Michigan avenue.
38 FULLERTON AVENUE LINE.
Leave Fullerton avenue and North Halsted street.
Route—West on Fullerton avenue to North Fortieth avenue
40 HALSTED STREET LINE.
Leave North Halsted street and Grace Street.
Route—South on Halsted street to O’Nell street.
41 INDIANA STREET LINE.
Leave the lake and Lake Shore Drive.
Route—West on Indiana street to the River.
42 LARRABEE STREET LINE.
Leave Clark and Washington streets.
Route—North on Clark street to Kinzie street, west to Franklin street, north to Erie street, west to Kingsbury, north to Chicago avenue, west to Larrabee street, north to Lincoln street, thence making loop, as follows: Northwest on Lincoln to Fullerton, west to Racine, south to Webster, east to Lincoln. Return same route.
43 LINCOLN AVENUE-BOWMANVILLE LINE.
Route—La Salle, Monroe, Dearborn, Randolph street loop, to Clark street, north on Clark street to Center street, west to Lincoln avenue, northwest to Foster avenue (Bowmanville).
44 NOBLE STREET LINE.
Leave Ashland and North avenues.
Route—East on North avenue to Holt, south to Blackhawk, east to Noble, south to Milwaukee avenue.
45 NORTH AVENUE LINE.
Leave Lincoln Park and North avenue and North Clark street.
Route—West on North avenue from North Clark street to North Forty-eighth avenue.
46 NORTH STATE STREET LINE.
Leave Dearborn and Polk streets.
Route—North on Dearborn to Randolph, east to State street, north to Division, west to Wells. Return same route, except southbound cars return to Dearborn via Washington Instead to Randolph.
47 OGDEN-WELLS, THROUGH ROUTE NO. 23.
Leave Ogden avenue and Fortieth street.
Route—Northeast on Ogden to Madison, east to Fifth avenue, north on Fifth avenue. Wells and Clark streets to Limits Station.
TWENTY-FIRST AND WELLS, THROUGH ROUTE NO. 15
Leave Marshall Blvd. and Twenty-first street.
Route—East on Twenty-first street to S. Halsted, north to Canalport, northeast to Canal, north to Harrison, west to Clinton, north to Randolph, east to Fifth avenue, north via Fifth avenue, Wells street and Clark street to City Limits.
4S RIVERVIEW PARK L1NE.
Leave Washington and Clark streets.
Route—North on Clark street to Kinzie, west to Orleans, north to Division, west to Sedgwick, north to North avenue, west to Halsted north to Lincoln, northwest to Belmont, west to Robey, north to Roscoe, west to Western avenue. Return same route, except south bound cars return via Sedgwick between Division and Chicago avenue, lnstead of Orleans.
49 SEDGWICK-DEARBORN L1NE.
Leave Center street and Racine avenue.
Route—East on Center street to Sedgwick street, south to Chicago avenue, east to Orleans street, south to Kinzie street, east to Dear born street, south to Polk street depot.
Returning—same route—except run direct Orleans street to Division street, west to Sedgwick street, north to Lincoln avenue, northwest to Garfield avenue, west to Racine avenue, south to Center etreet.
50 SEVENTY NINTH STREET-HOWARD AVENUE L1NE.
(WENT WORTH.CLARK THROUGH ROUTE NO. 23.)
Leave Halsted and Seventy-ninth streets.
Route—East on Seventy.ninth to Vincennes road, north to Wentworth avenue, north to Twenty-second, east to Clark, north to Devon avenue. Return same route, except southbound cars run west on Archer avenue from Clark to Wentworth, then south on Wentworth avenue.
51 WELLS-SHEFFIELD AVENUE L1NE. .
Leave Harrison and State streets.
Route—West on Harrison to Fifth avenue, north on Fifth avenue and Wells street to Clark, north to Center, west to Lincoln avenue, northwest to Sheffield avenue and north to Clark street.
52 WELLS STREET LINCOLN AVENUE L1NE.
Route—La Salle, Monroe, Dearborn, Randolph street loop, west on Randolph to Fifth avenue, north on Fifth avenue and Wells street to Clark, north to Center, west to Lincoln, northwest to Robey, north to Balmoral, east to Ravenswood Park, north to Cemetery Drive (Rosehill).
CHlCAG0 RAILWAYS C0.
(Formerly Chicago Consolidated Traction Co.) West Division.
55 FORTY-EIGHTH AVENUE LINE.
Leave North Forty-eighth and Chicago avenues.
Route—South to Twelfth street.
56 FULTON STREET LINE.
Leave State and Adams streets.
Route—West on Adams street to Desplaines street, north to West Monroe street, west to South Morgan street, north to Fulton street, west to North Western avenue.
57 KEDZIE AVENUE, THROUGH ROUTE NO. 17
Leave Belmont and California avenues.
Route—South on California avenue to Chicago avenue, west to Kedzie avenue, south to Sixty-third street.
58 MAD1SON AND HALSTED LINE.
Leave Madison street and Fortieth avenue.
Route—East on Madison street to Halsted, north to Grace street, (Evanston).
60 SOUTH FORTIETH AVENUE LINE
Leaves Fortieth avenue and West Berwyn avenue (Bohemian National Cemetery.)
Route— South on South Fortieth avenue to West Thirty-first street, west on South Thirty first to South Forty-fourth Avenue.
Electric Trolley Car
71 Ashland Route
About 1900
Francis Gregory, Conductor
CHlCAG0 RAILWAYS C0.
(Formerly Chicago Consolidated Traction Co.) North Division.
61 BELMONT AVENUE LINE.
Leave Halsted street.
Route—West to Milwaukee avenue.
62 ELSTON AVENUE LINE.
Leave State and Randolph streets.
Route—Dearborn, Randolph and State streets loop to Lake street, west to Milwaukee avenue, northwest to Elston avenue, northwest to West Montrose boulevard and weet to north Forty-sixth court.
63 EVANSTON L1NE.
Leave North Clark street and Dewey place.
Route—Northwest on North Clark street to Evanston avenue, and northwest on Evanston avenue, north to Buena Park, Sheridan Park, Argyle Park, and Edgewater to Devon avenue, west to North Clark street, north to Howard avenue (City Limits) .
64 IRVING PARK BOULEVARD LINE.
Leave Grace street.
Route—North on Evanston avenue to Graceland avenue, west on Graceland avenue and Irving Park boulevard to North Sixty-fourth avenue (Dunning).
65 LAWRENCE AVENUE LINE.
Leave Evanston and Lawrence avenues.
Route—West on Lawrence avenue to Milwaukee avenue.
68 MGNTROSE BGULEVARD LINE.
Leave Evanston avenue and Montrose boulevard.
Route—West on Montrose boulevard and Forty-sixth court.
69 SOUTHPORT AVENUE LINE.
Leave Polk and Dearborn streets.
Route—North on Dearborn street to Harrison street, west to Fifth avenue, north on Fifth avenue and Wells street to Kinzie street, west to Franklin, north to Erie, west to Kingsbury, north to Chicago avenue, west to Larabee, north to Crosby, and northwest to Division street, west to North Halsted, north to Clybourn avenue, northwest to Southport avenue, north to North Clark street, (Graceland Cemetery).
70 NORTH FORTIETH AVENUE LINE.
Leaves North Fortleth and Elston avenues, north to Bohemian Cemetery.
Electric Street Car
Chicago City Railway Company
The Street Railway Journal
December 1905
CHICAGO CITY RAILWAY CO. South Division.
71 ASHLAND AVENUE LINE—DOWN TOWN DIVISION.
Leave State and Lake streets.
Route—South on State street to Archer avenue, southwest to Ashland avenue, south to Seventy-first street.
72 ASHLAND AVENUE—THROUGH ROUTE No. 9.
Leave Seventy-first street and Ashland avenue.
Route—North on Ashland avenue to Twelfth street, west to Paulina street, north to Lake street, east to Ashland avenue, north to Clybourne Place, west to Wood street.
73 ARCHER AVENUE AND THIRTY-EIGHTH STREET LINE.
Leave State and Lake streets.
Route—South on State street to Archer avenue, southwest to West Thirty-eighth street, west to Central Park avenue.
74 ARCHER AVENUE LIMITS LINE.
Leave State and Lake streets.
Route—South on State street to Archer avenue, southwest to Forty-eighth avenue (City Limits).
75 COTTAGE GROVE AVENUE LINE. JACKSON PARK DIVISION.
Leave Randolph and Wabash avenue.
Route—South on Wabash avenue to Eighteenth street, east to Indiana avenue, south to Twenty-second street and Cottage Grove avenue, south on Cottage Grove avenue to Fifty-fifth street, east to Jefferson avenue, south to Cable Court, east to Lake avenue (Jackson Park).
76 COTTAGE GROVE AVENUE LINE. GRAND CROSSING AND OAKWOODS DIVISION.
Leave Randolph and Wabash avenue.
Route—South on Wabash avenue to Eighteenth street, east to Indiana avenue, south to Twenty-second street and Cottage Grove avenue, south on Cottage Grove avenue to South Chicago avenue, southeast to Seventy-fifth street (Grand crossing).
77 FORTY-SEVENTH STREET LINE.
Leave Illinois Central R. R. and Forty-seventh street.
Route—West on Forty-seventh street to Kedzie avenue.
78 FORTY-THIRD AND ROOT STREET LINE.
Leave Illinois Central R. R. and Forty-third street.
Route—West on Forty-third street to State street, north to Root street, west to Stockyards.
79 FIFTY-FIRST STREET LINE.
Leave Fifty-first street and Grand Boulevard.
Route—West on Fifty-first street to Leavitt street.
80 FIFTY-NINTH AND SIXTY-FIRST STREET LINE.
Leave Washington avenue and Sixtieth street.
Route—South on Washington avenue to Sixty-first street, west to State street, north to Fifty-ninth street, west to Leavitt street.
81 HALSTED STREET LINE—DOWN-TOWN DIVISION.
Leave Washington and Clark streets.
Route—South on South Clark street to Archer avenue, west to Halsted street, south to Seventy-ninth street.
82 HALSTED STREET LINE—GiNEIL STREET DIVISION.
Leave O’Nell and Halsted streets.
Route—South on Halsted street to Sixty-ninth street.
83 HALSTED STREET—THROUGH ROUTE NO. 24.
Leave Sixty-ninth and Halsted streets.
Route—North on Halsted street to Division street.
84 INDIANA AVENUE LINE— FIFTY-FIRST STREET DIVISION
Leave Randolph street and Wabash avenue.
Route—South on Wabash avenue to Twenty-second street, east to Indiana avenue, south to Fifty-first street, east to Grand Boulevard (Washington Park).
85 INDIANA AVENUE LINE. FORTY-SEVENTH STREET DIVISION.
Leave Randolph and Wabash avenue.
Route—South on Wabash avenue to Twenty-second street, east on Indiana avenue, south to Forty-seventh street, east to I. C. R. R.
86 INDIANA AVENUE LINE. FORTY-THIRD STREET DIVISION.
Leave Randolph and Wabash avenue.
Route—South on Wabash avenue to Twenty-second street, east to Indiana avenue, south to Forty-third street, east to I. C. R. R.
87 – KEDZIE AVENUE LINE.
Leave Kedzie avenue and Sixty-third street.
Route—North on Kedzie avenue to Twenty-second street.
88 KEDZIE AVENUE LINE—THROUGH RGUTE NO. 17.
Leave Kedzie avenue and Sixty-third street.
Route—North on Kedzie avenue to Chicago avenue, east to California avenue, north to Belmont avenue.
90 SIXTY-THIRD STREET LINE.
Leave Sixty-fourth and Stony Island avenue.
Route—North on Stony Island avenue to Sixty-third street, west to Central Park avenue (Chicago Lawn).
91 SIXTY-THIRD STREET LINE—CLEARING DIVISION.
Leave Sixty-third street and Central Park avenue (Chicago Lawn).
Route—West on Sixty-third street to Central avenue (Clearing).
92 SIXTY THIRD STREET LINE—JOLIET DIVISION.
Leave Sixty-third street and Central Park avenue (Chicago Lawn)
Route—West on Sixty-third street to south Forty-eighth avenue, north to Archer avenue (Chicago & Joliet Electric Ry. Station).
93 SIXTY-SEVENTH—SIXTY-NINTH STREET LINE.
Leave Western avenue and Sixty-ninth street.
Route—East on Sixty-ninth to Keefe avenue, northeast to Rhodes avenue, north to Sixty-seventh street, east to Stony Island avenue.
94 STATE STREET LINE: SEVENTY-THIRD STREET DIVISION.
Leave State and Lake streets.
Route—South on State street to Vincennes road, southwest to Seventy-third street and Wentworth avenue.
95 STATE STREET LINE: SIXTY-THIRD STREET DIVISION.
Leave State and Lake streets.
Route—South on State street to Sixty-second place and Wabash avenue.
96 THIRTY-FIRST STREET LINE.
Leave Lake Park Avenue and Thirty-first street.
Route—West on Thirty-first street to Archer avenue.
97 THIRTY-FIFTH STREET LINE.
Leave Cottage Grove avenue and Thirty-fifth street.
Route—West on Thirty-fifth street to California avenue.
98 THIRTY-NINTH STREET LINE.
Leave Cottage Grove avenue and Thirty-ninth street.
Route—Weston Thirty-ninth street to Halsted street, south to Stock Yards.
99 TWENTY-SECOND STREET LINE— LAWNDALE DIVISION.
Leave 22d street and Wabash avenue.
Route—West on 22d street to Kedzie avenue, south to Twenty-fifth street, west to Lawndale avenue, south to Thirty-third street.
100 TWENTY-SIXTH STREET LINE.
Leave Cottage Grove avenue and Twenty-sixth street.
Route—West on Twenty-sixth street to Halsted street.
101 THROOP AND MGRGAN STREET LINE (STOCKYARDS).
Leave 21st and Throop streets.
Route-South on Throop and Morgan streets to 39th street, to north gate of Stock Yards.
102 WALLACE STREET AND CENTRE AVENUE LINE.
Leave State and Lake streets.
Route—South on State street to Archer avenue, southwest to South Canal street, south to 29th street, west to Wallace street, south to Root street, west to Halsted street, south to 47th street, west to Centre avenue, south to 75th street.
103 WENTWORTH AVENUE AND AUBURN PARK LINE.
Leave Clark and Washington streets.
Route—South on Clark street to Archer avenue, southwest to Wentworth avenue, south to Vincennes Road, southwest to 79th street, west to Halsted street.
104 WENTWORTH AVENUE AND CLARK STREET—THROUGH ROUTE No. 2.
Leave 79th street and Halsted street.
Route—East on 79th street to Vincennes Road, northeast to Wentworth avenue, north to 22d street, east to Clark street, north to Division street, west to Clybourn avenue, northwest to Belmont avenue.
105 ARGO LINE.
Leave Archer avenue and Forty-eighth avenue.
Route—South on Forty-eighth avenue to Sixty-third street, west to Fifty-sixth avenue, south to Sixty-third place, west to Argo street.
106 WESTERN AVENUE LINE.
Leave Forty-seventh and Western avenue.
Route—North on Western avenue to Twenty-seventh street.
The Calumet Electric Street Railway company was the first the first company in the Chicago area to use electric streetcars in 1892.
CALUMET & S0UTH CHICAG0 RAILWAY C0MPANY.
Connect wlth the Alley “L” at Stony Island avenue and Sixty-third street and South Park avenue, and Sixty-third street, also Cottage Grove Avenue Line at Seventy-first street, Seventy-fifth street and South Chicago Avenue with Sixty-third Street Line at Stony Island avenue, and with Dauphin Park. Burnslde, Fernwood, Washington Heights, West Pullman, Cheltenham Beach, Grand Crossing, Auburn Park. Roby, Stony Island, South Chicago, Roseland, Kensington, Pullman, Whlting, East Chicago and Hammond.
110 HAMMOND LINE.
Leave Sixty-third street and Madison avenue.
Route—East on Sixty-third street to Stony Island avenue, south to South Chicago avenue, southeast to Ninety-first street, east to Commercial avenue, south to Ninety-second street, east toEwIng avenue, south to 106th street, east to State Line, thence to Hammond, Ind.
111 SEVENTY-FIFTH STREET LINE—AUBURN PARK AND MANHATTAN BEACH.
Leave Seventy-fifth street and Eggleston avenue.
Route—East on Seventy-fifth street to the Lake (Manhattan Beach).
112 SEVENTY-NINTH STREET LINE.
Leave Seventy-ninth street and South Chicago avenue.
Route—South on South Chicago avenue to Seventy-ninth and Stony Island avenue, east on Seventy-ninth street to Ontario.
113 PULLMAN NINETY-THIRD STREET LINE — (TO ILLINOIS STEEL MILLS.)
Leave 115th street and Watt avenue.
Route—North on Watt avenue to 111th street- west to Cottage Grove avenue, north to Ninety-third street, east to Ninety-second and Exchange, east on Ninety-second to Buffalo, north to Eighty-ninth, east to Illinois Steel works.
115 103D STREET LINE —WASHINGTON HEIGHTS.
Leave 103d street and Cottage Grove avenue.
Route—West on 103d street to Vincennes road (Washington Heights)
116 106TH STREET NE.
Leave 106th street and Ewing avenue.
Route—West on 106th street to Torrence avenue
117 115TH STREET LINE— KENSINGTON.
Leave Calumet avenue and 115th street.
Route—West on 115th street to Michigan avenue.
118 STONY ISLAND AVENUE LINE.
Leave Sixty-third street and Stony Island avenue.
Route—South on Stony Island avenue to Ninety-seventh street.
119 SOUTH DEERING AND SOUTH CHICAGO LINE.
Leave Sixty-third street and Stony Island avenue.
Route—South on Stony Island avenue to Seventy-fifth street, east to Coles avenue, southeast to Seventy-ninth street, east to Ontario avenue, south to Eighty-third street, east to Superior avenue, south to Eighty-seventh street, east to Buffalo avenue, south to Ninety-second street, west to Commercial avenue, south to 104th street, west to Torrence avenue, south to 112th street.
120 WEST PULLMAN LINE.
Leave Sixty-third street and South Park Avenue.
Route—South on South Park avenue, south to South Chicago avenue, southeast to Cottage Grove avenue, south to Ninety-fifth street, west to Michigan avenue, south to 119th street, west to Morgan street, south to 120th street (West Pullman), east to Halsted street, north to 119th street.
121 WINDSOR PARK AND SOUTH CHICAGO LINE.
Leave Sixty-third street and Stony Island avenue.
Route—South on Stony Island avenue to Seventy-third street, east to Rallroad avenue, southeast to Seventy fifth street, east to Coles avenue, southeast to Seventy-ninth street, west to Exchange avenue, south to Eighty-third street, east and southeast to Commercial avenue, south to Ninety-second street, east to Erle avenue, south to South Chicago avenue, southeast to Ninety-fifth street, east to Ewing avenue, south to 103th street.
122 WHITING AND EAST CHICAGO LINE.
Leave Sixty-third street and Madison avenue.
Route—East on Sixty-third street to Stony Island avenue, south to South Chicago avenue, southeast to Ninety-first street, east to Commercial avenue, south to Ninety-second street, east to Ewing avenue, south to Indianapolis avenue, southeast to State Line, thence to East Chicago and Whiting.
CHICAGO SOUTHERN TRACTION C0.
125 BLUE ISLAND AND HARVEY LINE.
Leave Sixty -third street and South Park avenue.
Route—East one block on private property to Vernon avenue, south to Sixty-seventh street, east to Vincennes avenue, south to South Chicago avenue, southeast to Cottage Grove avenue and Seventy-first street, west to State street, south to Seventy-ninth street, west to Vincennes road, south to Eighty-first street, west to Halsted street, south to Summit avenue, south to Vincennes road, southwest to Burr Oak avenue, west to Western avenue, south to 144th street and Spaulding avenue, southeast on Spaulding avenue to Page avenue, south to 154th street, east to Park avenue (Harvey)
Connects with Alley “L” at Sixty-third street and South Park avenue , with Sixty-ninth street line at South Chicago and Keefe avenues, Cottage Grove avenue line at Seventy-first street and Cottage Grove avenue, and with Wentworth avenue line at Seventy-ninth street and Wentworth avenue,
126 MORGAN PARK LINE.
Leave Seventy-ninth and Halsted streets.
Route—South on Halsted street to Summit avenue, south to Vincennes road, southwest to Morgan avenue, west to Grand Trunk R. R. Connects with South Halsted street line at Seventy-ninthand Halsted streets. Also Wentworth avenue line at Seventy-ninth and Halsted streets.
In 1914 the remaining four transit companies, Chicago Railways Co., Chicago City Railway Co., Calumet & South Chicago Railway Co., and Chicago Southern Traction Co. merged to form the Chicago Surface Lines.
