CTA Purple Line - Simpson Street Bridge

In 1883, the Chicago & Evanston Railroad began construction on a 12 mile railroad line, extending from the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road) near Cortland Street in Chicago, north to Evanston, Illinois.  From Clybourn Avenue to Fullerton Avenue, the route ran parallel to Lakewood Avenue, eventually joining Lakewood Avenue at Wrightwood Avenue.  The line then followed Lakewood Avenue before diverging near Belmont Avenue.  The route then turned, going past present-day Wrigley Field, before turning back north.  The route continued into Evanston, ending at Linden Avenue in Wilmette.  The railroad reorganized as the Chicago, Evanston & Lake Superior Railway in 1885, which was leased to the Milwaukee Road in 1887, eventually being purchased outright in 1898.

This route served as a branch line to serve various industries.  Due to the largely residential areas the line traversed, the route north of Howard Street was leased to the Northwestern Elevated Railroad in 1908.  The Northwestern Elevated Railroad Company (NWE) extended their electrified passenger service over the route, providing quick travel into and around Chicago.  In the late 19th Century, railroad traffic had become a significant safety hazard for the City of Chicago.  A solution was devised to elevate the railroad tracks throughout the city, placing the railroads upon embankments and constructing subways at each street.  In 1910, the line was elevated from Howard Street to Church Street, followed by Leland Avenue to Howard Street in 1922.  By 1924, the Northwestern Elevated Railroad became part of the Chicago Rapid Transit Company. The tracks were elevated between Church Street to Central Avenue in Evanston between 1928 and 1931.  In 1947, the CRT became part of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), which later acquired the line north of Leland Avenue.

By the 20th Century, the Milwaukee Road had become a prominent railroad in the United States, operating a network of railroad lines primarily in the Midwest.  Through the 20th Century, the Milwaukee Road continued to operate the line south of Leland Avenue as an industrial switching line.  The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. In 1925, the company declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1928.  By 1985, a suitor for the Milwaukee Road was being sought, and the Soo Line Railroad, controlled by Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) purchased the Milwaukee Road in 1986.  The line south of Leland Avenue was abandoned between the 1970s and 1980s.  North of Leland Avenue, the route has since become part of the CTA Purple Line.