The original G&CU, Kinzie Street Station, was built in 1848 west of the Chicago River. In 1881 the Wells Street Station was built. Then in 1911, C&NW opened their Chicago Passenger Terminal west of the Chicago River where it had plenty of land and the passenger trains did not have to cross the drawbridge and thus compete with river traffic when trying to meet their schedules.
Kinzie Street Station
Please read Chicagology for a history of the depots that where built southwest of Kinzie and Canal.
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| Dave Durham posted Galena&Chicago Union RR 1st depot, built in 1848, and removed in 1881. [Note that the following post indicates that this was the second depot, built in 1853, and that it was east of the North Branch.] Jimmy Fiedler Built on the same property as the merchandise mart building. David Daruszka No, this was west of the Wells Street Station at Canal near Kinzie. The G&CU would purchase land on the east side of the river to build a replacement station for this one. The Wells Street Station would eventually be built on that land, and later the Merchandise Mart. The site that this station sat on is a parking lot. Leo Di Domenico Jr There was a bronze plaque on the Southwest corner of Kinzie and Canal marking the location of the Galena RR it was lost during the flooding of the freight tunnel system. |
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| Patrick McNamara commented on Leo's comment on Dave's post It went 'lost' long before that event. |
IRM Strahorn Library posted two images with the comment:
Welcoming the Chicago and North-Western Historical Society to their building on the Illinois Railway Museum campus. Congratulations on your upcoming move!Chicago's second passenger station, again for the Galena and Chicago Union, was constructed 1852 - 1853 between North Water Street and Wells St. east of the Chicago River. This station was destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire of October, 1871.Photo by C&NW Ry Public Relations Department Negative No 53Larson Collection, Chicago & North Western Vol. 1, Illinois Railway Museum Strahorn LibraryWe include in this post a section from the work “Yesterday and To-day A History By Chicago and North Western Railway Company, William H. Stennett · 1905”“The second passenger depot was built 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 Street, 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 another story to this depot, and in the room so made, a portion of the general offices of the company were located. This building remained in use until the great fire of 1871, when it went up in smoke, like much more of Chicago.The third depot scarcely deserves to be named, but to make this history full it must be referred to. In 1851, as is before stated, this road bought land east of the North Branch of the Chicago River, and on part of this purchase erected, on the east side of North Dearborn Street and south of Kinzie Street, a two-story building, the lower story of which was intended for freight purposes, while in the upper rooms some of the general officers of the road were to have their offices. For some time, but for reasons now not known, the passenger trains of the Galena road ran to and from this building, and while this was done neither the first nor second depots were used. The records of the company that were burned in the great fire of 1871 doubtless contained a full explanation of these facts. That this building was used as the road's passenger station is established beyond any question.The next passenger depot of the Chicago & North -Western Railway,which now had become the successor of the Galena company , was the one that was built on the then North Wells Street in the late fall of 1871 , to take the place of the one that was burned in the great fire. It was a wooden structure and faced south, with an entrance from Wells Street.The next passenger depot of the road is the present (as of 1905) structure that stands on the corner of Wells and Kinzie streets, and it was built in 1880 to 1882 and occupied in 1882. It will be mentioned in another place in this history.”
IRM Strahorn Library shared
IRM Strahorn Library shared
Larry Lavery shared
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| One of 13 photos posted by David Daruszka The story of Wells Street Station begins on the west side of the Chicago River at Kinzie Street where the Galena & Chicago Union and the Chicago & Northwestern built their early depots. The G&CU eventually built a new station on the east side of the river at Wells and Kinzie Streets. After the merger of these and other roads into the Chicago & North Western a grander depot was built on that site to handle the growing passenger traffic. |
IRM Strahorn Library posted two images with the comment:
Welcoming the Chicago and North-Western Historical Society to their building on the Illinois Railway Museum campus. Congratulations on your upcoming move!Chicago's first Railway Station was built by Galena & Chicago Union Railroad 1848-1849 at Canal & Kinzie Streets just west of the Chicago River.Photo by C&NW Ry Public Relations Department Negative No 31.Larson Collection, Chicago & North Western Vol. 1, Illinois Railway Museum Strahorn LibraryThe collection of Chicago & North-Western stations in Chicago will shortly become quite complex and convoluted and for that reason, we include in this post a section relating to this first G&CU station from the work “Yesterday and To-day A History By Chicago and North Western Railway Company, William H. Stennett · 1905”“THE FIRST RAILROAD DEPOT IN CHICAGOThe 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 short distance west of the west abutment of the city bridge that crosses 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, 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 as its general office, and in it, John B. Turner, the president of the road, and his associates planned the extension of the road and controlled its destinies. 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, old-fashioned "marine" telescope that he possessed, and thus could announce the coming of a train while it was yet as far away as 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 a pontoon or floating bridge across the river on practically the same ground where the Chicago & North -Western Railway bridge now stands. In those days a street ran along and not far north of the main Chicago River, and was named North Water Street.”
Paul Webb shared
IRM Strahorn Library shared
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| David Daruszka updated [The cupola was a later addition to the station and the stationmaster would use a telescope to look for incoming trains.] Bob Lalich The three way stub switch in the foreground is interesting. |
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| David Daruszka posted David Daruszka: Photo taken at the G&CU's Kinzie Street Station. |
Wells Street Station
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| David Daruszka posted C&NW Wells Street Station (1881-1911). I'm not sure if the station ever had a weather van in the shape of the C&NW's first locomotive, the Pioneer. |
The Mart was built before this aerial photo was taken, so the station is gone. But we still see tracks west of Orleans Street. C&NW still had freight service to industries along the north shore of the Chicago River all the way east to, and including, Navy Pier. The Mart was built over the C&NW tracks. Some of those tracks served the Mart and some of them continued east to serve other industries and the Navy Pier. One advantage of being replaced by 1911 is that all of the images have horses instead of cars.
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| 1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP |
David Daruszka added 13 photos with the comment: "Chicago & North Western's Wells Street Station."
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| 1 The Wells Street Station, designed by architect W.W. Boyington, was built in 1881 at a cost of $250,000. |
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| 3 The Wells Street Station, located on the corner of Wells and Kinzie Streets, was a five story structure built of red brick and Ohio sandstone. The prominent feature was the central clock tower that rose 188 feet above street level. The headhouse measured 188 feet along Wells and 280 feet on Kinzie. The general building height was 80 feet, which included one floor below street level. The first floor below street level contained: waiting rooms, lunch counter, news stand, baggage room, ticket and telegraph offices, smoking room and depot master’s offices. Up the stairs on the street level were a restaurant, main waiting rooms, ticket offices and parcel booth. Above the main floor were the offices of the railroad. |
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| 4 Located near the confluence of the branches of the Chicago River, the station was confined by industry and freight handling that had grown up at Wolf Point. |
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| 5 [see below for the complete photo] The train shed to the west of the station covered 12 tracks with a capacity of 90 passenger coaches and 12 locomotives. Around 200 passenger trains arrived and departed when the station opened, carrying about 32,000 passengers daily. [Note the smoke haze down by the North Branch.] David Daruszka posted C&NW Wells Street Station (1881-1911). The train yard prior to the construction of the Suburban commuter Annex. Jeff Nichols posted, the posting has several detail images cropped from a high-res image. Source: Detroit Publishing, LOC Jim Arvites posted View of the Chicago & North Western Railway's Well Street Station at Chicago in 1898. The station, built in 1881, was in service until 1911 when it was replaced by a new passenger depot. (Detroit Publishing Co.) |
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| David Schnell posted Almost always, the photo below is presented only as the right half or the left half. Here is the entire photo of the C&NW Wells Street Depot. If you have the means, please replace the half photo with this one anywhere on the internet. |
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| 6 As traffic continued to grow a Suburban Annex was built to exclusively accommodate commuter traffic. The Wells Street Station lived a brief life of a little over 20 years. A number of problems arose with the site. The C&NW had extensive land holdings along the river and had built an expansive freight business that was now mingled with the passenger and commuter trains. The explosive growth of the commuter service required that the annex be added to the original station, but it too proved inadequate to handle the business |
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| 7 This photograph shows the train yard and its proximity to the Chicago River. |
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| 8 As both intercity and commuter traffic burgeoned the lack of expansion room for the station became a serious issue for the railroad. David Daruszka posted The environs of Chicago & North Western's Wells Street Station (1881-1910), W.W. Boyington, architect. The image predates the addition of the Suburban Annex. The swing bridge on the upper right carried the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul's Chicago and Evanston commuter line that ran to Wilmette in competition with the C&NW. David Daruszka posted C&NW Wells Street Station (1881-1911). Bird's eye view of the station and its environs. Its location on the north and east of the Chicago river would prove to be a hindrance to its efficiency. [The comments discuss the Milwaukee/Chicago & Evanston passenger platform along Kingsbury north of Kinzie.] |
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| 9 Access to the station via a single bridge over the Chicago River was major problem. The original pontoon bridge had three separate replacements. The volume of river traffic required that the bridge be open frequently, with ships having priority of passage, created havoc with train schedules. David Daruszka posted Wells Street Station (1881-1911). This image shows the new Strauss lift bridge under construction and the old swing bridge it would replace behind it. This was the choke point for the station as the constant flow of river traffic would cause the bridge to be opened, wreaking havoc with train schedules. Plans were made to replace the station with a modern facility not hindered by river traffic. |
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| 10 The Wells Street Station became the second of Chicago's passenger terminals serviced by the 'L' system. David Daruszka posted C&NW Wells Street Station (1881-1911). In this color postcard view the Northwestern "L" has been built as well as the Suburban Annex to the south of the station. The explosive growth of commuter traffic required the addition of the Annex to handle the increased number of passengers using the station. Creating a separate structure for the exclusive use of commuters allowed the station itself to better handle the intercity passengers. [On another posting, David commented that the annex was added in 1902.] David Daruszka commented on another post . The station was obsolete not long after it was finished. Train travel grew exponentially, particularly suburban commuter service. A Suburban Annex was added on the south side of the station, but it did little to resolve the problems. Trains were required to arrive and depart on a double track moveable bridge that crossed the Chicago River. The bridge was opened more than it was closed wreaking havoc with train schedules. The C&NW decided to build a modern replacement at Madison and Canal that resolved all these problems. The Wells Street Station was then demolished and the land converted into a freight yard. The Merchandise Mart was built using air rights sold by the C&NW. The Mart's original purpose was as a warehouse and freight transfer facility, which the C&NW has a hand in planning. This is an image of the station with the additional Suburban Annex. |
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| 11 On December 8th, 1900 a boiler explosion at the station powerhouse during the height of the evening rush hour rocked the train yard. The explosion blew out a wall and propelled the boiler through it. The boiler mowed down three section hands working near the building and continued, on striking a parlor car on a train departing for Milwaukee. Five passengers, including two newly married couples returning from their honeymoons were seriously injured. One woman subsequently died. Assistant Engineer John Butterworth was injured as well and was hospitalized over a month. He was unable to testify at the coroners inquest due to the physicians ruling that as a result of his ordeal “his mental condition was such that were he to testify he might become permanently insane.” The inquest found that the boilers at the powerhouse were of insufficient to furnish steam for the entire complex. Upon the recommendation of the jury the city passed an ordinance requiring the annual inspection of stationary boilers. David Daruszka posted A boiler explosion in the station's powerhouse at 5:05 PM on December 3rd, 1900 sent bricks and pieces of the boiler flying into the train yard at the peak of the evening rush. Killing 25 and injuring a score more. http://www.sheboyganpress.com/story/life/2017/09/08/sheboygan-honeymooners-were-caught-chicago-train-tragedy-1900/646663001/ |
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| 12 Railroad President Marvin Hughitt decided upon a bold plan that would completely reconfigure the C&NW’s Chicago Terminal operations. That plan included the construction of a new, state-of-the-art station located at Madison and Canal Streets. The result would be an engineering marvel of efficiency. Wells Street closed upon completion of the new station. David Daruszka posted The new Madison Street Station opened in 1911, but old habits die hard. Going to the closed station meant a long trek to the new one. |
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| 13 The old station would be demolished within a few years and the area given over completely to freight handling. In 1923 Marshall Field & Company built the Merchandise Mart on the site of the old station. The new building included extensive freight transfer capabilities. |
This postcard has the same underlying photo as #10 above, but it was produced by a different publisher.
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| Brian Chris posted This is a vintage postcard. I'm not sure when the postcard was printed, but it was mailed with a postmark dated Aug. 17, 1908. Mark La: Know that is St. Michaels in the background. Sigurd Kolemainen: It just occurred to me, at this time, the Northwestern Station had a direct connection to elevated trains, unlike today's Station. Terry Gregory  History and description of the C&NW station (1881-1910). https://chicagology.com/goldenage/goldenage074/ [Contains an engraving showing a grain elevator at Wolf Point.] Dawn Cianci shared Northwestern Station Alan Follett: I don't recall ever previously seeing a photo of the old Wells Street C&NW station after the Northwestern "L" was built. Was there a direct entrance to the station from the Kinzie Street "L" station? Dawn Cianci: Alan Follett a comment on the original post says there was a direct entrance. |
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| Tom Holz posted |
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| Patrick McNamara commented on Tom's post Opening of Suburban Annex Building - December 5, 1902....... |
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| David Carr commented on Brian's post MS Muncy is the ship in the postcard…built in 1902…. |
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| Darla Zailskas posted Behind the masts of ships in the Chicago River at the Franklin Street Bridge is the massive depot of Chicago & North Western Railway. The depot, built in 1881, was in use until a larger, more modern one replaced it on Madison and Canal streets in 1911. |
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| 1900 photo of Wells Street Station posted by Chuck Slayton Wells street station 1900. They built the Merchandise Mart here after they tore down the station. Kristopher Isaac Barrington posted Todd Protzman Davis shared Zachary Taylor Davis - Chicago Architect post William W. Boyington’s 1881 Chicago & Northwestern Station - which was located on the SW of Wells and Kinzie Streets. The building was razed in 1910 - it is now the site of the Merchandise Mart. Original Chicago posted Horse drawn omnibuses standing in front of the Wells Street Chicago and Northwestern rail station. Photo-Detroit Publishing Company Photograph Collection |
At first, I thought that the above was a colorization of the following photo. But there are some differences other than the cropping. Specifically, the traffic in the street is different. A more modern colorization of this vantage point from a posting.
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| Chet Lunsford comment on his posting The earlier Wells Street Chicago and Northwest. This would be razed for the Merchandise Mart, with the airlines utilized as part of the distribution center. Bill Molony also posted it with the date of 1898 |
A photographer must have taken several exposures from the same vantage point. Because one of the omnibuses has left from this scene.
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| Jeff Nichols posted, the posting has several detail images cropped from a high-res image. Wells Street Station, Chicago & North Western Railway, 1898. Wells & Kinzie. Cropped detail from high-resolution image. Detroit Publishing, LOC |
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| Eric J. Nordstrom posted original undated james w. taylor image (albumen print) of william w. boyington's victorian style chicago and northwestern railway passenger station (1881-1910), located at the sw. corner of north wells and west kinzie streets, chicago, ils. courtesy of bldg. 51 archive. |
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| Dragi S. Trajkovski posted POSTCARD CHICAGO - CHICAGO and NORTHWESTERN RAILROAD STATION - AKA WELLS STREET STATION - HORSE DRAWN WAGONS - 1898 |
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| Terry Gregory commented on Dragi's post There were at least two takes of this photo that got published. The original post (Left) was taken at 9:30am (see clock), while the right one was taken 5 minutes later. The year of the photos is 1887. Visible are the stages of the Parmelee Transfer which shuttled between all Chicago railroad terminals. The City of Chicago granted Parmalee the exclusive franchise for station transfer trade moving passengers and baggage, which the company held until 1971. After Amtrak consolidated inter-city railroad passenger services at Chicago’s Union Station, Parmalee ceased operations under the Parmalee name, but continues as Continental Airport Express. |
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| David Daruszka posted C&NW Wells Street Station (1881-1911). Color postcard image. |
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| John Tkalec posted Paul Webb shared |
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| Alan Follett commented on John's post The only interior photo I've found is from the Railroad Gazette, December 1, 1905, and just shows the North Western's Surgical Department in the station. Jo Jo Magnine Alan Follett Why would there be a surgical dept in a train station? just wondering... Alan Follett That's what the North Western (and many other railroads) called its in-house medical staff. They gave medical exams to job applicants, and performed the periodic (annual?) physicals required for operating employees. They also dealt with on-the-job injuries, which in those days were a lot more common than they became in later years. Also, though it was perhaps not strictly within their purview, they accepted some emergency cases brought to them as the facility nearest to the downtown area. |
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| David Daruszka commented on a post In this postcard view looking south the Suburban Annex has been added. |
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Jim Arvites posted View from a bygone era of the old Chicago & North Western Railway's Wells Street Terminal Station at Chicago, Illinois circa 1890's. The station, opened in 1881, was replaced by a new passenger terminal in 1911. (C&NW Historical Archives) Recently, a friend of mine, Jim Arvites posted this photo to a number of facebook pages. The image, which had been earlier posted on the facebook page of the Chicago & North Western Historical Society (and resides in its archives) proved to be of special interest to Bruce Moffat, who as many of you know is author of the book THE "L" THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHICAGO'S RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM 1888-1932, which proved to be instrumental in correctly dating this photo. The view looks east along Kinzie from (what is today) Orleans St. At right is the C&NW's Wells St Station the 2nd (built AFTER the Great Chicago Fire (NOT started by Mrs. O'Leary's cow knocking over a lantern -- that is an urban myth), which destroyed Wells St Station the 1st). At left is the Kinzie station of the Northwestern 'L'. Info on the back of the photo indicated the photo was dated 1894 -- but that is NOT correct. The Northwestern 'L' did not open for service until Dec 1899 and the Kinzie station was not completed yet. Per conversation with Bruce Moffat, the photo could not have been taken until AT LEAST May 1900. So by total happenstance (due to the presence of another rail subject in the same photo) we have managed to more properly date the photo as being early 1900s. for helping us more properly date same. My thanks to Craig Pfannkuche and Frank Carlson (both of which I work with at the C&NWHS Archives) for locating and scanning this photo and to Bruce Moffat for helping us more properly date same. |
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| Chicago & North Western Historical Society posted Still another photo postcard from the fabulous collection donated to the C&NW Historical Society by Frank Carlson. This time it is a photo of the C&NW's terminal on Wells Street in Chicago. It is now the site of the building called the "Merchandise Mart" in the city. The cancellation date on the photo is October 1905. Dennis DeBruler shared I had to think about this photo. Most photos I've seen of the Wells Street Terminal were taken from Wells Street. This one was taken from Kinzie Street looking towards Wells Street. Andre Kristopans: Has there ever been any definitive evidence that there was a station on the Lake St L at Wells (Fifth Ave)? I have seen "bird's eye" drawings of downtown that purport to show a station centered on the alley between Wells and LaSalle, but drawings are drawings, not photos, and can show things that are not really there. Dennis DeBruler: Andre Kristopans Lake Street "L" had a terminal down by today's Opera House that it used before the loop was built. Search for the two photos with "Xavier" in the caption in these notes: https://towns-and-nature.blogspot.com/2018/01/chicago-il-lyriccivic-opera-house.html |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on his share This map posted by David Daruszka helps visualize what it looked like back then. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1270038776414622/permalink/1746615892090239/ |
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| Comments on the above share |
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| William Shapotkin posted Back on October 21st, I posted a photo of the C&NW Wells St Station in Chicago [the previous photo in these notes], showing (at left) the Kinzie 'L' station (the view looks east on Kinzie St). Well lo and behold, another photo of the Kinzie 'L' station (undated, looking west) has surfaced (you can see the N/E corner of C&NW's Wells St Station at left) -- thru the courtesy of Walter Keevil. We owe him a heary "Thank you" for sharing same. Paul Webb shared Dennis DeBruler: What a transportation hub! A trunk railroad train station, an "L" station, four streetcars, an automobile, a horse & buggy, another horse peaking out behind the car and pedestrians. |
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| David Daruszka posted C&NW Wells Street Station (1881-1911). The view looking east with the station headhouse on the left and the Suburban Annex roof on the right. |
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| David Daruszka posted C&NW Wells Street Station (1881-1911). The Wells Street swing bridge with the station in the background. |
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| John Smith posted one of many fav places in the Chicago sanborn books CNW Wells Station Chicago 1906 Vol 1 N&W page 42 |
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| David Daruszka commented on John's posting |
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| Jack Steen posted 137 years ago this morning [May 23, 2018], the C&NW opened the Wells Street Terminal for business. It would serve only until 1911, when it was replaced by the Madison Street Chicago Passenger Terminal. |
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| David Daruszka commented on David's posting Here's a photo looking north from the river. |
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| David Daruszka commented on David's posting And a postcard view. |
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| Patrick McNamara commented on a post |
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| Patrick McNamara commented on a post |
A Mike Savad water painting.
Scene in color 1889
Location: 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza #470, Chicago IL
Location: 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza #470, Chicago IL
The Well's Street station was a passenger terminal of the North Western Railway, its located on the corner of Well's St and Kinzie ave in Chicago. In this same location today sits Merchandise Mart.
This is the 2nd location of the Well's Street station, the first one was located on the west side of the Chicago river back in 1848. This one was built in 1853, it was much larger and said to have a very large waiting area. However this station was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1871.
It was rebuilt and opened again in 1881, which is the building before us. After that it ran till 1911, where it was moved again to where the Ogilvie Transportation center is, which is still in use today.
Tony Gutierrez's posting and the comments have lots of pictures and info about the station at Wells Street.
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