UP Des Plaines Street Bridge (South)

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 from Wells Street Station (located opposite the present-day Merchandise Mart) to Oak Park were completed.  A new station was completed on the east bank of the Chicago River in 1853.  The railroad continued to expand westwards, reaching Iowa by 1859.   This line would become known as the Galena Division, or West Line.  In 1854, the Illinois & Wisconsin Railroad Company (I&W) constructed a 39-mile line, extending northwest from Wells Street Station to Cary, Illinois.  This line would connect to Janesville, Wisconsin by the end of 1855 and become part of the Wisconsin Division, known as the Northwest Line.  In 1855, the Chicago & Milwaukee Raiload (C&M) constructed a 45-mile railroad line, extending north from the Northwest Line at Ashland Avenue and Armitage Avenue to the Wisconsin State Line near Kenosha.  This line would also become part of the Milwaukee Division, and was known as the North Line.  The G&CU and I&W were consolidated into the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) in 1864, and the C&M was leased to the C&NW before being fully acquired in 1883.  The C&NW was beginning to construct and acquire a large network of railroads throughout the midwest.  These lines formed the three principal mainlines of the C&NW, providing a direct route into Chicago.  In addition to passenger and freight traffic, the C&NW offered a commuter service over these lines to the outlying suburbs.

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.  The first ordinance along the C&NW was issued in 1892 for elevation of the Galena Division at Sacramento Avenue, followed by Sacramento to 40th Street (Pulaksi Road) in 1895.  Between 1897 and 1899, the C&NW elevated the Galena Division from Sacramento Avenue to Pulaski Road; the Wisconsin Division from Sangamon Street to Kostner Avenue and at Irving Park; and the Milwaukee Division from Armitage Avenue to Balmoral Avenue.  Between 1905 and 1906, the Galena Division between Ashland Avenue and Sacramento Avenue would be elevated.  Between 1907 and 1908, work continued on the Milwaukee Division; reaching Howard Street in 1908.  The Galena Division would be elevated to the Des Plaines River by the end of 1912.  The Wisconsin Division to Foster Avenue would be elevated by 1915.  In the early 20th Century, the existing terminal had become outdated, and the C&NW sought to construct a new terminal west of the Chicago River.  A new station was constructed on a three block parcel of land, bounded by Madison Street on the south and Clinton Street on the west.  To reach the new terminal, the mainlines of the C&NW were realigned and elevated.  The Galena Division left the original alignment near Ogden Avenue and Kinzie Street, before entering the new station on a sweeping curve located at Kinzie Street and Clinton Street.  The Wisconsin Division left the original line at Ogden Avenue, joining the Galena Division near Kinzie Street.  The original line was extended east in 1916 to serve Navy Pier. 

The C&NW would become a prominent railroad in the midwest, eventually building a system over 11,000 miles long.  Portions of the original line were abandoned in the 1970s and 1980s, including the line east of Rush Street in 1980.  In 1995, the C&NW would be purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad.  The West Line is now part of the Geneva Subdivision, and is operated as the Metra Union Pacific-West Line.  The Northwest Line is now part of the Harvard Subdivision, and is operated as the Metra Union Pacific-Northwest Line.   The North Line is now part of the Kenosha Subdivision, and is operated as the Metra Union Pacific-North Line. The remaining section of the original line, including the bridge over the Chicago River, is currently out of service, but owned by Union Pacific.