At this point is located their main yard, engine house, repair track, etc. I was reading an excellent book on the expansion and contraction of the prr. The following day, the company acquired such a railroad from charles h. To understand peorias role in the history of the underground railroad, the story of moses and lucy pettengill must be explained. Aug 22, 2012 explore enjoypeorias board history peoria, il area, followed by. Its property was sold at foreclosure to several new companies in the 1920s. A quarter century later, peoria could boast ten railroads, but a tangled network of track, along with its natural consequences of congestion, sabotage, and court injunctions begged for change. River station formerly rock island rr depot peoria, il. Thats a far cry from the position peoria once held.
Naturally, growing population and industry attracted interest from the railroads. He has written 10 books about the history of peoria, il, writing mostly about the bawdy, seedy and dangerous elements of peorias long history, 1845 through 1950. Peoria and pekin union railway news newspapers books. According to the 1889 peoria city directory, the rescue was owned by solomon york of peoria. This is a round trip excursion ticket stub from peoria to chillicothe. The front of the ticket stub says grey eagle, but it was a ticket for a riverboat named rescue. Bradley university, the peoria historical society and the peoria public library to. A history of the growth and development of one of the leading arteries of transportation in the united states, from inception to its present mammoth proportions, together with the biographies of many of the men who have been and are identified with the varied interests of the illinois central railroad. I started researching the history of peoria, illinois back in the winter of 1982 by. It was envisioned to provide the small community of peoria, illinois with. Peoria stands as the largest metropolitan area in the state without passenger rail service. Norm kelly is a peoria historian and author of 7 books on the history of peoria.
Peoria, illinois historic book collection 11 books. The peoria and pekin union railway reporting mark ppu is a switching and terminal railroad in illinois that began operating in 1881 and was leased to the tazewell and peoria railroad in 2004. The passenger railroad reorganized in 1937 as the illinois terminal railroad itr and continued to provide electricpowered interurban, longdistance multiple car passenger train service peoria danville to st. See more ideas about peoria illinois, illinois and east peoria. Find 3 listings related to illinois central railroad in peoria on. Old historical city, county and state maps of illinios. By my count, only 3 of the big eastern railroads made it to peoria, nyc, prr.
The peoria watch company of peoria, illinois was incorporated on december 19, 1885 by clarence howard, j. By 1850, the city of more than 5,000 residents bustled with industry such as breweries, distilleries, flour mills and meat packers. History of the illinois central railroad railroads of america john f stover on. Railroad history in the united states is nearly as old as the country itself, dating back to the mid1820s.
The state was once home to the most class i railroads of all time and today is the only state to claim all seven north american class is within its borders. As we know, this great nation would not have grown and prospered as it did without the railroads, which brought together the young country and allowed for unprecedented prosperity. Coster and samuel spencer, who had purchased the railroad in a foreclosure sale of the ohio. This book is a must read for all those interested in the abolitionist underground. Its main yard and roundhouse are in east peoria, illinois, and it owns track on both sides of the illinois river.
Illinois railroads easily are the nations most important in terms of the region they serve and volume of traffic which is handled. This page primarily lists records kept at the city level. Streetcars did more than transport people, their routes. Historical maps of illinois are a great resource to help learn about a place at a particular point in time. Owen muelders the underground railroad in western illinois is a wonderful and the most comprehensive work on the ugrr along the illinois and missouri border. Peoria history peoria and bureau valley railroad stock. Peoria, illinois historic book collection 11 books exploring peoria, its history, culture and its genealogy important citizens in the 19th and early.
The illinois state historical library has county plat books and atlases available for the years of around 1870 to 1930. Alton illinois southern illinois underground railroad history timeline my family history history images african american history history books that way. The peoria and eastern railway railroad history and. I was reading an excellent book on the expansion and contraction of the prr and related entities last night, and the author was talking about how the prr at first envisioned the line to peoria as a chicago bypass, until other priorities rose to. The underground railroad in western illinois mcfarland.
This heirloomquality, coffeetable pictorial book features hundreds of images. United states postal contracts helped provide revenue to make this service viable. Over the years there have been various efforts to get the city back on track. History of the chicago parental school northeastern illinois university. It stands today as the fairbury rock island depot museum, a fascinating stop for any railroad enthusiast. High speed trains get set for illinois but not in peoria. The chicago, rock island and pacific railroad had a profound effect on the town. Abandoned peoria trains magazine trains news wire, railroad. It dawned on me then that the real historians initially were newspaper reporters. This 575 page tome covers the history of the illinois central railroad from its founding to the merger with gulf mobile and ohio to form the illinois central gulf railroad.
One was about railroads in southern illinois, and another about rail. Swedishamerican historical book collection north park university swedishamerican historical quarterly north park university. Membership in the peoria historical society supports our two museum houses, maintenance of over 600,000 artifacts in our collection, and the ability to share and celebrate peoria history at numerous events and venues. Because it was supposed to allow freight to bypass the congestion in chicago, it sometimes used the slogan peoria gateway.
I started researching the history of peoria, illinois back in the winter of 1982 by reading the 1845 newspapers. Additional records are listed on the county and state pages. Stover, railroads of america series, macmillan, new york, 1975. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids. After settling in peoria in 1834, the pettengills lived in a house at the corner of liberty and jefferson streets, where the peoria civic center now stands, from 1836 to 1862. About the east peoria historical society the east peoria historical society was formed in 1999 as a result of the city of east peoria receiving the gift of the doering homeplace, built circa 1888, from dr. Peorias railroad man peoria public library peoria, illinois. There was no explanation in the book about the many railroad lines for one color line.
Peoria, illinois historic book collection 11 books exploring peoria, its history, culture and its genealogy important citizens in the 19th and early 20th centuries tha new media llc on. The peoria and eastern railway was incorporated on february 21, 1890, for the purpose of constructing or acquiring a railway between pekin, illinois, and indianapolis, indiana. Illinois maps are vital historical evidence but must be interpreted cautiously and carefully illinois map collections. Living history of illinois the digital research library. The company also owns a rail bridge over the river. As a crossroads state, as well as incorporating the city of chicago, a terminus of industry going back to the 19th century.
The railroad obviously should have dumped that line long before they did. Toledo peoria and western 484 the peoria road railway railroad locomotive 84 photo by robert graham. Though no longer a railroad station, railroad tracks still are visible, and, to my understanding, still active. Visit us at the main library, lower level one, in downtown peoria from 9. History of the illinois central railroad company and representative employes. History of the illinois central railroad railroads of. So mcnear, with apparent clear sailing would continue with his railroading, nothing or no one could stop peorias railroad man. Folks that knew anything at all about railroads called the defunct line the tired poor and weary road.
The toledo, peoria and western railway reporting mark tpw is a short line railroad that operates 247 miles 398 km of track from mapleton, illinois, through peoria across illinois to logansport, indiana. Peoria genealogy in peoria county, il usa 1,012,695 illinois 43,590 peoria county 843 peoria 401. History of the illinois central railroad, by john f. Browse maps, pictures and histories of abandoned railroad lines in the state of illinois. The river station, formerly known as the rock island depot, is a simply adorned brick building with an overhead shelter that sits in the revitalized riverfront section of peoria, illinois. Its main yard and roundhouse are in east peoria, illinois, and it owns track on. Containing a history of the northwesthistory of illinoishistory of the county, its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc. Bob mosher believes that the reason for more than one railroad line for each railroad color may be that the lines probably had contractual agreements. The rock island depot was built in fairbury in the early century.
Peoria incorporated as a town in 1835 and became a city a decade later. On february 27, 1943, the bridge was struck by the towboat, sylvia t. The railroads history has certainly carried numerous twists and turns but its future appears. The peoria watch company purchased the machinery of the fredonia watch company. Peoria il, and its sister pekin, across the illinois river is an unusual railroad hub in a state crisscrossed by main line railroads although peoriaeast peoriapekin is a sizable, industrial illinois metropolitan area, it does not straddle any of the primary rail arteries serving the state.
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