CN Harlem Avenue Bridge (Lyons)

In 1903, the Chicago and Illinois Western Railroad (C&WI) was incorporated by Dolese and Shepard, a limestone mining company, to construct a new railroad connecting two quarries at Hawthorne, Illinois (Cicero) and Gary, Illinois (Hodgkins).  The first 11 miles between Willow Springs and Hawthorne was constructed between 1906 and 1907.  In 1914, an additional 2.9 miles was completed along 33rd Street to Western Avenue, where it would connect to the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (PCC&StL).  The line would connect to several different Class-I railroads along its route.

In the early 20th Century, the demand for electricity in the Chicago area was growing, and large power plants were constructed.  In 1925, the C&WI was purchased by utility company Commonwealth Edison to serve the power plant at Pulaski Road, and Illinois Central Railroad (IC) began operating the line. In 1967, the C&WI would be sold to the Illinois Central.  In 1972, the IC merged with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad (GM&O) to form the Illinois Central Gulf (ICG). The C&WI was fully absorbed by the ICG in 1983.  In 1988, the ICG was reorganized as the Illinois Central Railroad (IC).  In 1998, IC was purchased by Canadian National Railway (CN).  Today, CN continues to operate the line between Cicero and Gary; while the segment through Cicero has been sold to the Cicero Central Railroad.  The portion of the line along 33rd Street is abandoned, but intact.