Morris, IL: Old Grain Elevator and Extant/Fox & Illinois Union Interurban Depot

(Satellite)

Ken Morrison posted
Looking north, up the ROW of the long-gone Fox River & Illinois Union railroad. This is about 1/2 mile W of Morris Airport/IL RTE 47

David Chapman posted two photos with the comment: "Morris Il.  Few miles north of I80 on hy 47. Was served by the interurban  railroad Fox and Illinois Union railway. Seen better days lol"

1

2

20210512 2757c
Dennis DeBruler commented on David's post
It is definitely better to visit this elevator in the Winter when the leaves are off the trees. I'm surprised that there is some paint left on the elevator. The power line is a reminder that many power companies bought interurban right-of-ways when they were abandoned. That would have been considered a high-voltage line back in the 1930s.

Dennis DeBruler commented on David's post
A view of the north side.

Jeff Mathre posted eight images with the comment: "Fox & Illinois Union. From Yorkville to Morris."

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

 

The depot is now used by a restaurant.

Street View, Oct 2018

Tom Bruke Flickr

Tom Burke Scan of "M.C. Poor" Photo-Fox & Illinois Union Railway Yorkville IL Fall 1937

The Fox and Illinois Union Railway was an electric interurban that began in 1911 and connected the towns of Yorkville to the north and Morris to the south. In 1931 the F&IU interurban went out of business and the line was taken over by farm elevators that the interurban had served, preserving rail freight service until 1938. By the time the farm elevator owners took over the line had already dropped passenger service and converted their freight motor to gasoline operation.

 

This view I believe looks south and is located just south of downtown Yorkville. In the foreground are the freight station and car barn. Farther west is what appears to be Rt. 47 descending toward the Fox River on a fill. The passenger station for the interurban was near the CB&Q depot in downtown Yorkville.

 

The F&IU interchanged car load freight with both the CB&Q and the RI in Morris.

 

In Yorkville passengers could connect with the Aurora, Elgin & Fox River Electric interurban network and onto Chicago. In Morris passenger connections could be made with the Chicago & Illinois Valley interurban.

 

You can still see much of the old F&IU right-of-way alongside Rt. 47 including its raised roadbed, a place where fill was used to span a stream, and the cement grain silos on one side that once provided revenue. Rt. 47 probably dealt the death blow to this line as farmers could switch to trucks on the paved highway.

 

The F&IU was sued in 2015 by a farmer looking to reclaim its old ROW-some 77 years after the line stopped operating.

 

www.kendallcountynow.com/2015/06/17/fox-and-illinois-unio...