Before Trucks -- Many Industrial Spurs

Before trucks and paved highways were developed, the only way that merchants got the goods they wanted to sell was by rail. And the only way industries got their raw materials and shipped their finished products was by rail. Merchants would build near the team tracks so that they could easily transfer their goods to their store with a horse and wagon. And industries would build close to the track so that they could get a spur. While studying 1937-47 aerial pictures of Downers Grove, IL, I noticed that all of the buildings south of Warren between Middaugh and Forest have a spur running behind them. The second picture adds a red line to highlight the spur.

ILHAP BWS 3-9

And the following view indicates that buildings south of the tracks also had spurs. In this case it branched from the team tracks that are south of the old and new train depots.

ILHAP BWS 3-9

Looking for industrial spurs in the aerial photo, I believe there was another one west of Maple Ave. (The mainline is the thick white line along the bottom.)

ILHAP BWS 3-8

The only industry in DG that currently is served by a spur, Pepperidge Farms, did not exist in the aerial photos. I have caught a local going down the tracks to service Pepperidge Farms.

The Morris Terminal RR is another example of how important it was to have rail service to your door before trucks existed.

As another example, I checked Goose Island in Chicago, which is an industrial area. In the 1938 aerial photos below, we see a good part of the island was devoted to rail service. I also captured the river front below Goose Island because it had rail-served industry as well.

ILHAP BWQ 8-8

ILHAP BWQ 8-8

Now Goose Island has just one track that goes down some streets. I wonder what industry is left that uses rail instead of truck. I need to make a field trip.

Update: a comment from Joe explains that Big Bay Lumber is the last rail-served industry on Goose Island. The Chicago Terminal Railroad now operates the former SOO line (originally Milwaukee Road) trackage.