UP Highland Avenue Bridge (Elgin)

In 1836, the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad (G&CU) was charted to construct a railroad line between Chicago and Galena, Illinois.  After attempts to construct the railroad in the late 1830s, the company came to a halt due to lack of funds.  William B. Ogden was elected director of the G&CU in 1847, and construction on the railroad began in 1848.  That year, the first four miles to present day Oak Park were constructed.  In 1849, the railroad reached Turner Junction (West Chicago), thirty miles west of downtown Chicago.  By the end of 1850, the railroad had reached Elgin, and in 1852, the railroad would reach Rockford.  In 1853, the line would be extended to Freeport, Illinois; where it connected to the Illinois Central Railroad.  The G&CU realized the company would be better served by constructing a mainline west towards Iowa, and never extended the line past Freeport.  In total, the line would be 121 miles in length.  The G&CU was consolidated with the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) in 1864.  The C&NW was beginning to construct and acquire a large network of railroads throughout the Midwest.  The West Chicago to Freeport line formed a secondary route, connecting industries to Chicago.

Through the 20th Century, this route began to decline in significance.  The C&NW would become a prominent railroad in the midwest, eventually building a system over 11,000 miles long.  By the 1970s, industries had closed and passenger traffic disappeared.  In 1981, the C&NW would abandon the segment between Rockford and Freeport.  The right-of-way would be purchased by Commonwealth Edison, and portions of the line converted to the Pecatonica Prairie Path.  In 1995, the C&NW would be purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad.  Today, Union Pacific operates the West Chicago to Rockford segment as the Belvidere Subdivision, which mainly serves the Stellanis Plant in Belvidere.  Metra service is scheduled to begin to Rockford in 2027, and utilize this line between Elgin and Rockford.  West of Rockford, much of the route has become part of the Pecatonica Prairie Path.