Lake Street Elevated Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Lake Street Elevated Railroad was the second permanent elevated rapid transit
line to be constructed in Chicago
, Illinois. The first section of the line opened on November 6, 1893, and its route is still used today as part of the Green Line
route of the Chicago 'L'
system.
The Lake Street Elevated Railway Company was chartered on February 7, 1888, and granted a 25 year franchise by the city council to build an elevated railroad above Lake Street from Canal Street to the city limits. It was originally planned that the line would use a steam-powered monorail system
that had been developed by Joe Meigs in Cambridge, Massachusetts
, however the company eventually chose to use more traditional steam locomotives.
Construction of the line began in 1889, but potential investors found the franchise too restrictive and a new 40 year franchise was awarded by the city council on November 24, 1890, that allowed the railroad to extend to Market Street in downtown Chicago. By 1892 the company had debts of $17 million and was sold to new owners, renamed the Lake Street Elevated Railroad Company, and a new charter was granted on August 24, 1892. The first section, running from the downtown terminal at Market Street and Madison to California Avenue
opened to the public on October 28, 1893, and the line was completed to 52nd Avenue (Laramie)
—a total length of 6.4 miles (10.3 km)—by April 23, 1894. Service was extended to Austin Avenue
in (what was then) the suburb of Austin
of a section of track built at-grade on April 15, 1899.
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
line to be constructed in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois. The first section of the line opened on November 6, 1893, and its route is still used today as part of the Green Line
Green Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Green Line is part of the CTA rapid transit system known as the Chicago 'L'. It is the only completely elevated route in the 'L' system. It utilizes the system's oldest segments , extending with 29 stops between Forest Park and Oak Park , through Chicago's Loop, to the South Side and Englewood...
route of the Chicago 'L'
Chicago 'L'
The L is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs. It is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority...
system.
Beginnings
Meigs Elevated Railway
The Meigs Elevated Railway was an experimental steam-powered monorail invented by Josiah V. Meigs of Lowell, Massachusetts....
that had been developed by Joe Meigs in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, however the company eventually chose to use more traditional steam locomotives.
Construction of the line began in 1889, but potential investors found the franchise too restrictive and a new 40 year franchise was awarded by the city council on November 24, 1890, that allowed the railroad to extend to Market Street in downtown Chicago. By 1892 the company had debts of $17 million and was sold to new owners, renamed the Lake Street Elevated Railroad Company, and a new charter was granted on August 24, 1892. The first section, running from the downtown terminal at Market Street and Madison to California Avenue
California (CTA Green Line)
California is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving the Green Line's Lake Branch. It opened on November 6, 1893. California was closed on February 9, 1992, as part of a series of budget cuts, but later reopened with the completion of the Green Line rehabilitation.The...
opened to the public on October 28, 1893, and the line was completed to 52nd Avenue (Laramie)
Laramie (CTA)
Laramie is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving the Green Line. It opened on April 29, 1894 as a terminus of the Lake Street Elevated Railroad. It is the first station above Lake Street as the line follows an elevated embankment to Harlem/Lake.- Bus connections :CTA* ...
—a total length of 6.4 miles (10.3 km)—by April 23, 1894. Service was extended to Austin Avenue
Austin (CTA Green Line)
Austin is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system. It is situated between the Ridgeland and Central stations on the Green Line, which runs from Harlem Avenue in Forest Park to Englewood and Woodlawn...
in (what was then) the suburb of Austin
Austin, Chicago
Austin, located on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, is the largest of the city's 77 officially defined community areas, followed by Lake View. Its eastern boundary is the Belt Railway located just east of Cicero Avenue. Its northernmost border is the Milwaukee District/West Line...
of a section of track built at-grade on April 15, 1899.