14-18-foot Sewer Pipe being built in 1918
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| MWRD posted on Oct 29, 2022 Construction site for a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System, looking east near 114th Place and Prairie Avenue in Chicago on November 13, 1918. [old crawler crane] |
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| MWRD posted on Jun 5, 2023 Construction site for a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer system near the intersection of 114th Place and Prairie Avenue in Chicago on November 13, 1918. |
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| Raymond Kunst posted Laying sewer pipes along Lawrence Ave, 1918, Chicago Raymond Kunst shared Timothy P Kelpsch: It's a storm sewer, runs from the lake to o'hare. [He was challenged about this statement, and he responded: "No assumption, that's where it goes now." If anything, it runs from O'Hare to the lake.] Albeast One posted Laying sewer pipes along Lawrence Ave and Broadway, 1918, Chicago. [This time I noticed that they are using very dry cement so that they don't need an outer form on the top.] |
I wonder if the trestle pilings we see on the side of the trench were driven all along both sides. Specifically, is that what is keeping the mud walls with buildings on top of them from collapsing? They have a conveyor belt that carries debris from the dig in front of the pipe back to fill over the pipe that is built. This method of laying pipe is called "cut and fill." That conveyor is on rails so that it can be moved forward as the dig progresses.
The comments indicate the scaffolding in the middle is to allow workers to construct a brick arch for the top of the pipe.
Michael Pazanin Looks like there lined with Brick , at that time there where more bricklayers then all the other trades tougher!!!
No wonder I keep finding brick plants in various towns. Illinois is lucky that it sits on top of sedimentary rock that has a lot of outcroppings of coal, sand and clay.
I can't imagine opening a hole that deep and that close to buildings with out massive amounts of shoring
Look at the train running on the tracks parallel to the ditch on theft
Raymond Kunst shared
Laying sewer pipes along Lawrence Ave and Broadway, 1918, Chicago.
William D Brown no shoring I wonder how many collapses they had.
The comments indicate the scaffolding in the middle is to allow workers to construct a brick arch for the top of the pipe.
Michael Pazanin Looks like there lined with Brick , at that time there where more bricklayers then all the other trades tougher!!!
No wonder I keep finding brick plants in various towns. Illinois is lucky that it sits on top of sedimentary rock that has a lot of outcroppings of coal, sand and clay.
Fernando Flores A few years ago, I saw them working on this tunnel at Lawrence between Linder and Cicero, and you could see the bricks layout clearly. It was fascinating!
Beer drinking, bicycle riding, Chicago photography club posted
Eric A Lussenhop Being a Local 130 Plumber here in Chicago and with all my safety training......Beer drinking, bicycle riding, Chicago photography club posted
I can't imagine opening a hole that deep and that close to buildings with out massive amounts of shoring
Look at the train running on the tracks parallel to the ditch on theft
Raymond Kunst shared
Laying sewer pipes along Lawrence Ave and Broadway, 1918, Chicago.
William D Brown no shoring I wonder how many collapses they had.
West Side Interceptor Sewers
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| MWRD posted An interior view of the Oak Park sewer near the intersection of Oak Park and Chicago Avenues during construction on December 13, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted An interior view of the Oak Park sewer near the intersection of Oak Park and Chicago Avenues during construction on December 13, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted Construction a portion of the North Side Intercepting Sewer on August 30, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the West Side intercepting sewer on May 2, 1928. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the West Side Sewer on January 20, 1930. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the West Side Intercepting Sewer on May 23, 1930. This is a large sewer which serves 58 square miles in an area of Chicago between Lake Michigan to the east and Central Avenue to the west. The northern boundary is Fullerton Avenue and the southern boundary shifts along Taylor Street, the South Branch of the Chicago River and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Construction began in 1927 and the entire system was completed and in service by 1940. |
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| MWRD posted on Dec 30, 2021 A view of the drop shaft and surrounding work site for a section of West Side Intercepting Sewer at the intersection of Laflin and 22nd St (now Cermak) in Chicago on April 16, 1931. [They must have been tunneling rather than their normal cut-and-cover.] MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted An interior view of a 15' tunnel in the West Side Intercepting Sewer on July 13, 1934. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the West Side Intercepting Sewer in Chicago on January 30, 1935. |
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| MWRD posted Looking east at a shaft house and a mixer for sewer construction at the corner of Williams Street and Iowa Street in Oak Park, Illinois, on May 13, 1922. |
This looks like a power shovel, where the bucket is open to the front, instead of a backhoe or excavator, where the bucket is open to the back. So how do you dig a trench with a shovel?
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| MWRD posted A view of sewer construction looking west from Lathrop Street showing the open cut in Iowa Street in River Forest on May 13, 1922. |
I digitally zoomed in and then doubled the size of above photo. It looks like they are digging a second pass and the shovel is working its way towards us. The spoil pile implies that direction and that is the direction it would have to dig to fill its bucket. So they have to build a wooden platform to hold the shovel above the trench it kist dug. Moving the working platform as it progresses is a strong motivation for the invention of the backhoe.
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| Digitally Zoomed |
Is the shovel facing the trench it dug because it is covering up the pipe?
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| MWRD posted Sewer construction along Iowa Street in River Forest looking west towards Ashland Avenue on May 13, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted A view of Iowa Street in River Forest, Illinois, looking east from a point just west of Clinton Place, during sewer construction on May 13, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted The intersection of Jackson and Franklin Streets on June 11, 1934. This image is one of a series created during construction of the West Side Intercepting Sewer Number Six. Built in 1934, it is an 8 by 10-foot sewer at Quincy Street, running from Michigan Avenue west beneath Wacker Drive to Franklin, then south to Taylor Street, then west under the South Branch of the Chicago River before connecting with another section of the sewer system. |
North Side Interceptor Sewers
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| MWRD posted Interior view of a North Side Sewer system section during construction on July 13, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the North Side intercepting sewer on November 3, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted Historical Photo of the Week: Sewer construction along Thatcher Ave in River Forest on July 8, 1924 MWRD posted on Sep 28, 2022 MWRD posted |
What first caught my eye was that they were using a steam powered shovel as late as 1924. The cement mixer is powered by a gas engine. Note that they use a regular wheelbarrow on the right to dump the ingredients into the chute that will be lifted to feed the drum, but they use special wheelbarrows on the left to move the mixed concrete.
There is about three years difference between the above and below photos. Notice that the above mixer is powered by an internal combustion engine whereas the mixer below must be steam driven given the boiler on its backside.
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| MWRD posted A view to the south showing work on the Oak Park Sewer near the corner of Chicago Avenue and Thatcher Avenue in River Forest, Illinois, on September 19, 1921. |
Seeing that mixer makes me wonder when ready mix trucks were developed. (Update: trucks became big enough and strong enough to carry concrete in the 1950s.)
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More evidence that internal combustion engines had not complete replaced steam power by 1920.
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| MWRD posted A view to the south showing a boiler building under construction during sewer work at the northwest corner of Chicago and Kenilworth Avenues in Oak Park, Illinois, on November 9, 1921. Historical Society of Oak Park & River Forest |
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| MWRD posted A view of concrete mixing operations during construction of a section of the North Side Intercepting Sewer System on February 6, 1925. MWRD posted again |
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| MWRD posted A view inside of a newly completed section of the North Side Sewer on April 2, 1925. |
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| MWRD posted An interior view of a nearly complete section of the North Side sewer on April 13, 1925. |
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| MWRD posted A view of an elevator shaft during construction of a section of the North Side Intercepting Sewer on June 29, 1925. |
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| MWRD posted Work on a discharge tunnel for a section of the North Side sewer on September 28, 1925. |
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| MWRD posted A head house and drop shaft for construction of a section of the North Side Intercepting Sewer on Isabella Street in Evanston, Illinois, on May 31, 1922. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted on Aug 8, 2022 Construction of a portion of the North Side intercepting sewer on November 3, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted on June 14, 2022 |
I don't know if this was a separate sewer or not. I do wish I could find a map of the interceptor sewers. It looks like they had to lay some track to bring in this steam shovel.
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| MWRD posted The northeast corner of Ohio and Leavitt Streets in Chicago, looking north on September 11, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of 8-foot intercepting sewer at Thatcher Avenue and North Avenue in River Forest, Illinois, on July 8, 1924. |
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| MWRD posted A view of a nearly complete section of sewer along Talcott Road in Park Ridge, Illinois, on August 14, 1924. |
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| MWRD posted A view of the bottom of a drop shaft during construction of the North Side Intercepting Sewer on September 6, 1924. |
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| MWRD posted A view of the bottom of a drop shaft during construction of the North Side intercepting sewer on September 6, 1924 |
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| MWRD posted A view of an elevator shaft during construction of a section of the North Side Intercepting Sewer on June 29, 1925. |
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| MWRD posted The interior of a section of the North Side intercepting sewer #4 during construction on August 20, 1925. After the soft clay was mined and removed, wooden frames were constructed and then concrete was poured. North Side intercepting sewer Nos. 3 and 4 are the largest of the North Side intercepting sewers at 15 feet high, and they run along the North Shore Channel and McCormick Boulevard between Howard Street in Skokie and Argyle Street in Chicago. The North Side intercepting sewer consists of two branches, one running north from Howard Street to the Wilmette Pumping Station at Sheridan Road and one running south from Howard Street to Fullerton Avenue, just east of Elston Avenue in Chicago. |
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| MWRD posted A group poses for a portrait during construction of a section of the North Side Intercepting Sewer (section number 4) on September 11, 1925. North Side Intercepting Sewer Nos. 3 and 4 are the largest of the North Side intercepting sewers at 15 feet high, and they run along the North Shore Channel and McCormick Boulevard between Howard Street in Skokie and Argyle Street in Chicago. MWRD posted, same comment |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the North Side intercepting sewer #4 on August 20, 1925. North Side intercepting sewer Nos. 3 and 4 are the largest of the North Side intercepting sewers at 15 feet in diameter, and they run along the North Shore Channel and McCormick Boulevard between Howard Street in Skokie and Argyle Street in Chicago. The North Side intercepting sewer consists of two branches, one running north from Howard Street to the Wilmette Pumping Station at Sheridan Road and one running south from Howard Street to Fullerton Avenue, just east of Elston Avenue in Chicago. |
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| MWRD posted An interior view of a section of the North Side Intercepting Sewer System during construction on July 13, 1922. MWRD posted on Mar 2, 2022 |
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| MWRd posted Construction of a portion of the North Side Intercepting Sewer on November 3, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted view to the east (slightly northeast) at the corner of Elston Avenue and George Street in Chicago, Illinois, on November 3, 1925, showing construction of a shaft house for the North Side sewer. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a siphon shaft for the North Side intercepting sewer near to the North Shore Channel on July 6, 1928. |
South Side Interceptor Sewers
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| MWRD posted Sewer construction on July 27, 1917, viewed looking east at the intersection of Houston Avenue and 97th Street in Chicago. Dennis DeBruler: With the Pennsy and NYC lift bridges over the Calumet River in the background. And the B&O bridge is peaking over the spoils pile. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Sewer construction viewed looking west at the intersection of Houston Avenue and 97th Street in Chicago on July 27, 1917. |
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| MWRD posted Sewer construction on July 28, 1917, viewed looking east near the intersection of Houston Avenue and 97th Street in Chicago. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of intercepting sewer along Francisco Avenue in Blue Island, Illinois, on June 10, 1927. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted A view to the north showing construction of a section of the West Blue Island Intercepting Sewer along Francisco Avenue just north of the Cal-Sag Channel in Blue Island, Illinois, on July 2, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted on Nov 6, 2022 Work on the intercepting sewer at approximately 3500 S. Pulaski Road in Chicago on April 11, 1928. |
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| MWRD posted Work on the intercepting sewer at approximately 3500 S. Pulaski Road in Chicago on April 11, 1928. |
Calumet Intercepting Sewer
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| MWRD posted on Dec 27, 2021 Construction site for a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System near the intersection of 114th Place and Prairie Avenue in Chicago on November 13, 1918. |
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| MWRD posted on Oct 29, 2022 Construction site for a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System, looking east near 114th Place and Prairie Avenue in Chicago on November 13, 1918. |
That looks like a pretty big dragline being used here.
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| MWRD posted Excavation for and construction of a section of the Calumet sewer system on the south side of Chicago in an area near 125th Street and Indiana Avenue on October 24, 1916. |
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| MWRD posted on Nov 15, 2022 Excavation for and construction of a section of the Calumet Sewer System on the south side of Chicago in an area near 125th Street and Indiana Avenue on October 24, 1916. |
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| MWRD posted Excavation for and construction of a section of the Calumet Sewer System on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, in an area near 125th and Indiana Avenue on October 24, 1916. |
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| MWRD posted on Jan 14, 2023 Excavation for the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System on the south side of Chicago in an area near 103rd and Woodlawn on November 20, 1916. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted A tunnel shaft and workers on Prairie Avenue just north of 116th Street in Chicago during construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer system on December 12, 1916. |
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| MWRD posted Backfill over a completed section of the Cal-Sag Sewer System during construction in an area near Woodlawn and 103rd Street in Chicago on November 20, 1916. |
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| MWRD posted A concrete material loading station and rail cars for construction of the Cal-Sag sewer system near 103rd and Woodlawn in Chicago on November 20, 1916. |
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| MWRD posted A view of a concrete material loading station and conveyance during construction of the Cal-Sag Sewer System near 103rd and Woodlawn in Chicago on November 20, 1916. |
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| MWRD posted An interior view of construction of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System in a location along Prairie Avenue near 123rd Street in Chicago on February 20, 1918. MWRD posted MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted on Aug 21, 2022 Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System at the intersection of 104th Street and Corliss Avenue in Chicago, looking to the west, on May 13, 1918. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Sewer system along 104th Street looking east towards Corliss Avenue in Chicago on May 13, 1918. |
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| MWRD posted Construction site for a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System, looking east near 114th Place and Prairie Avenue in Chicago on November 13, 1918. |
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| MWRD posted on Jan 22, 2022 Construction of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System in an area north of 113th Street along South Park Avenue (now Martin Luther King Drive), on June 23, 1920. |
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| MWRD posted Workers inside of a section of sewer tunnel near the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on April 11, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted on Feb 17, 2023 Cal-Sag intercepting sewer construction near the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant on June 16, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted on Feb 27, 2023 Construction of a section of the Cal-Sag Intercepting Sewer near 125th Street in Chicago on August 9, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted on Dec 30, 2022 A view showing work on the Calumet Intercepting Sewer on November 10, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted on June 17, 2022 Construction of the Cal Sag sewer system in an area south of 113th Street along South Park Avenue (now Martin Luther King Drive) in Chicago, Illinois, on June 23, 1920. |
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| MWRD posted on Jan 18, 2023 Construction of the Cal-Sag intercepting sewer on September 24, 1920, in an area near 107th and South Park Avenue in Chicago, looking south from about 250 feet north of 107th Street showing north end of sewer, mixer, dragline and backfilling in the distance. |
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| MWRD posted on Dec 6, 2021 An interior view of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System on November 28, 1921. MWRD posted on Nov 18, 2022 |
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| MWRD posted on Dec 23, 2022 Interior view of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System on November 28, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System in Chicago, Illinois, on November 10, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted on Feb 2, 2022 Construction of the Cal Sag Intercepting Sewer in an area near 127th Street and the Little Calumet River in Chicago, Illinois, on July 20, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Cal-Sag Intercepting Sewer System in an area near 114th Place and Martin Luther King Drive on December 11, 1919. |
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| MWRD posted on Apr 14, 2023 Construction of a section of the Cal-Sag Sewer, looking west near the intersection of 114th Place and Calumet Avenue in Chicago on December 11, 1919. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Cal-Sag Sewer System in an area near 114th Place and South Park Avenue (now Martin Luther King Drive), on December 11, 1919. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer looking north on Avenue N at 100th Street in Chicago on September 28, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer looking north from an area near the intersection of 100th Street and Avenue N in Chicago on September 28, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted A view of work on a portion of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer and telephone company supports and cables in Chicago near the intersection of 98th Street and Avenue N on January 29, 1923. Dennis DeBruler: I'm glad you noted the telephone cables. I would have missed that. I did not realize that twisted-pair cables were that advanced by the early 1920s. |
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| MWRD posted A view of work on a portion of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer and telephone company supports and cables near the intersection of 98th Street and Avenue N in Chicago on January 29, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System in Chicago on January 29, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted A view to the north showing work on a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer along Avenue O between 104th and 105th Streets in Chicago on April 26, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted on May 18, 2023 A view of work on a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer system along Avenue O near 107th Street on May 17, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted on Apr 23, 2022 Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer system in Chicago on June 13, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Intercepting sewer system on June 13, 1923, near the intersection of Avenue O and 110th Street in Chicago. |
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| MWRD posted Historical Photo of the Week: The intersection of 92nd Street and Mackinaw Avenue in Chicago on October 3, 1923, showing a westward view of work on the Calumet intercepting sewer system. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer looking northeast towards the intersection of 92nd Street, Mackinaw Avenue and Harbor Avenue in Chicago on October 8, 1923. [It looks like the boom may be on a steam driven crawler crane.] |
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| MWRD posted on Feb 13, 2023 A view of the construction site for a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer on January 15, 1924. [old crawler crane] |
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| MWRD posted on Feb 22, 2022 A view inside a section of nearly completed tunnel for the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System in Chicago, Illinois, on April 11, 1924. |
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| MWRD posted on Jan 6, 2022 Construction of a section of 11-foot double-barreled sewer for the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System on July 17, 1924. MWRD posted again |
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| MWRD posted on Feb 15, 2022 A general view of a worksite for construction of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System on January 30, 1924. |
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| MWRD posted Excavation for a section of intercepting sewer on 92nd Street near Mackinaw Avenue in Chicago, looking west on October 3, 1923. Bob Lalich: This view looks SW along Harbor Ave. The track in the foreground was for streetcars and ran over the 92nd St/Ewing Ave bridge. Michael Siola shared |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer system along Avenue N, looking south from 99th Street in Chicago on September 6, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted on Sep 19, 2022 A view to the north on Avenue N near 99th Street in Chicago during work on the Calumet Intercepting Sewer on September 6, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted A view to the north on Avenue N near 99th Street in Chicago during work on the Calumet Intercepting Sewer on September 6, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer in Chicago on September 28, 1922, looking north on Avenue N at 100th Street. Marty Gatton shared |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System in Chicago on January 29, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted Workers pause for a portrait during construction of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer in #Chicago on February 26, 1924. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Workers pause for a photo during construction of a portion of the Southwest Intercepting Sewer on November 21, 1935. MWRD posted |
A different exposure:
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| MWRD posted on Jan 11, 2023 Workers pause for a photo during construction of the Southwest Intercepting Sewer on November 21, 1935. |
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| MWRD posted Work on the Southwest Intercepting Sewer looking southwest near the intersection of Grove and Cermak in Chicago on July 20, 1937. Dennis DeBruler: And a view of the Cuneo Press buildings in the background. They printed national magazines such as Time and Life. |
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| MWRD posted Work on a section of the Southwest Intercepting Sewer at the intersection of Pershing Road and State Street in Chicago on August 16, 1940. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer on September 28, 1922, looking north on Avenue N at 100th Street. |
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| MWRD posted Work on a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System on April 26, 1923, looking to the northwest at the intersection of 106th Street and Avenue O in Chicago. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted A view to the north showing work on a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer system along Avenue O between 104th and 105th Streets in Chicago on April 26, 1923. |
It is not worthy of its own post, but I wanted to record how the size of the interceptor sewers varied.
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| MWRD posted Inside the Salt Creek 2 interceptor sewer on April 17, 1928. MWRD posted on Apr 21, 2023 Interior view of sewer construction in an unknown location on April 17, 1928. Dennis DeBruler: In 2019 the location was identified as "Salt Creek 2 interceptor sewer." |
Speaking of Salt Creek:
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| MWRD posted A view of contractor's yard and field offices for construction of a section of the Salt Creek Intercepting Sewer on November 29, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted A view of the access shaft head house for a section of the Salt Creek Intercepting Sewer on November 29, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System along Avenue N, looking south from 99th Street in Chicago, Illinois, on September 6, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted A concrete material loading station for construction of the Cal-Sag sewer system near 103rd and Woodlawn in Chicago on November 20, 1916. |
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| MWRD posted A western view of Calumet Intercepting Sewer System construction in an area near Woodlawn and 103rd Street in Chicago on November 20, 1916. Dennis DeBruler shared Rick Aylsworth It was hard to judge the scale of that until I noticed the men inside! Bob Lalich The buildings in the background were Pullman Co at the time. They were later sold to EMD. |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on MWRD's post Given the industrial buildings in the background, we must be looking West. The boxcars in the background are on the Pullman Railroad. Woodland won't be built for a few more decades. 1929 Calumet Lake Quadrangle @ 1:24,000 |
Compare this photo to the November 20 photo above.
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| MWRD posted Calumet Sag Sewer System construction in an area near Woodlawn and 103rd Street in Chicago, Illinois, on October 24, 1916. Randy Ranes: Are they pumping concrete? Dennis DeBruler: Randy Ranes It appears the close mixer is dumping into a chute whereas the far mixer is dumping onto a conveyor belt.  Top FanBy comparing the angle to the EMD/Pullman buildings in the background, we can see the progress they made between Oct 24 and Nov 20. |
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| MWRD posted Excavation and construction for a section of the Calumet Sewer System on the south side of Chicago in an area near 125th and Indiana Avenue on October 24, 1916. |
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| MWRD posted View of a contractor's work area during construction of the Calumet Sewer System on the south side of Chicago near 125th and Indiana Avenue on October 24, 1916. |
So are they now next to the EMD/Pullman buildings?
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| MWRD posted Excavation for a section of the Sanitary District's Calumet Saganashkee ("Cal-Sag") Intercepting Sewer System along 103rd Street in Chicago, Illinois, on July 27, 1917. MWRD posted again |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Cal Sag sewer system along Riverdale Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, on July 27, 1917. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Sag intercepting sewer system, viewed to the east along 103rd Street showing the western opening of the sewer passing under Pullman railroad on July 27, 1917. |
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| MWRD posted Sewer construction on July 27, 1917, viewed looking west at the intersection of Houston Avenue and 97th Street in Chicago, Illinois. |
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| MWRD posted A view of work on a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System along Avenue O near 107th Street in Chicago on May 17, 1923. MWRD posted on May 18, 2023 |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer system in Chicago on June 13, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a headhouse for the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System on June 13, 1923. This location is on the west bank of the Calumet River, near where the Chicago Skyway currently crosses the river. The headhouse, which is no longer there, was used for maintenance of the siphon that moves sewer flow under the Calumet River for the intercepting sewer which leads to the 95th Street Pumping Station. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer on October 8, 1923, looking northeast towards the intersection of 92nd Street, Mackinaw Avenue and Harbor Avenue in Chicago. Mike Breski shared OK who's tracks? Calumet Hotel in the background. Bob Lalich: BRC and CRI&P each owned a track. Both tracks went to USS South Works, seen in the distance, and connected to the EJ&E. Steve Malachinski: BRC tracks are on the left CRI&P on the right. [US Steel South Works in the right background.] |
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| MWRD posted A view of 97th Street at Avenue N, looking east, in Chicago during work on a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System on May 29, 1923. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer System on September 19, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer system on September 7, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer system on September 7, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted on Sep 3, 2022 alumet Intercepting Sewer System excavation on 92nd Street near Mackinaw Avenue in Chicago, looking north on October 3, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Intercepting Sewer connection at 95th Street and Baltimore Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, on September 8, 1925. Marty Gatton shared Bob Lalich: The structure on the right is still standing. The Skyway now occupies the area immediately left of it. |
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| MWRD posted on Oct 20,2021 Sewer connection work in Chicago at the intersection of 95th Street and Baltimore Avenue on August 25, 1925. |
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| MWRD posted Removal of spoil during construction of a section of the Calumet Saganashkee Intercepting Sewer System near the intersection of Indiana Avenue and 120th Street in Chicago on July 27, 1917. Bob Lalich shared If the caption is correct that the location is near 120th and Indiana Ave, I believe the view is south, and the single track behind the temporary track with the locomotive would be IC's Blue Island Branch, with the mainline in the background. The signals seen near the left edge of the photo would be intermediate signals between Kensington and the Little Calumet drawbridges. The photo was taken before the IC electrified their suburban service. |
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| Comments on Bob's share |
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| MWRD posted A view north of the Cal-Sag Sewer construction on Indiana Avenue just south of 120th Place in Chicago on August 17, 1917. |
Miscellaneous (Unknown Location)
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| MWRD posted Workers with a hoist cage at the bottom of a drop shaft during tunnel excavation in an unknown location on December 21, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted Today’s photo shows the surface area near a drop shaft for construction of an intercepting sewer March 8, 1928. The exact location is unknown. The MWRD owns and operates 560 miles of intercepting sewers, which are large sewers that receive flow from approximately 10,000 local municipal sewer system connections. The wastewater is then conveyed by the intercepting sewers to MWRD Water Reclamation Plants for treatment. MWRD posted https://mwrd.org/what-we-do/protecting-water-quality/wastewater-treatment |
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| MWRD posted A view of the confluence of two sections of intercepting sewers during construction in an unknown location on April 5, 1928. |
This looks like the same unknown location.
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| MWRD posted Intercepting sewer construction in an unknown location on May 23, 1928. |
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| MWRD posted Inside an intercepting sewer in an unknown location on April 17, 1928. MWRD posted |
I think this is too small to be an interceptor sewer, but I wanted to record that horses & a wagon were being used as late as 1930.
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| MWRD posted A view to the southwest at sewer construction on Lawrence Avenue, just east of Broadway, in front of the Sheridan Trust and Savings Bank Building (currently known as the Bridgeview Bank Building) in Chicago on August 9, 1930. Dennis DeBruler: I'm surprised that horses and a wagon were being used as late as 1930. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Workers prepare a steam shovel near the intersection of Thatcher and North Avenues in Elmwood Park during construction of the 10,000-foot-long Elmwood Park Outfall Sewer on June 13, 1924. |
My main reason for saving this photo is to record the size of dump trucks in 1924.
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| MWRD posted A steam shovel and truck near the intersection of Thatcher Avenue and North Avenue in Elmwood Park, Illinois, during construction of the 10,000-foot-long Elmwood Park Outfall Sewer on June 20, 1924. The sewer was completed in 1925 to serve parts of Chicago, Elmwood Park, Oak Park and River Forest. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a 15-foot-tall section of the North Side Intercepting Sewer in an area along the North Shore Channel and McCormick Boulevard near Howard Street on September 20, 1924. |
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| MWRD posted Tunnel excavation for a section of Intercepting Sewer in an unknown location on March 29, 1928. |
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| MWRD posted A completed section of intercepting sewer in an unknown location, with scaffolding below a manhole shaft and an electric locomotive with muck cars on September 11, 1928 MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Tunnel excavation during construction for a section of the West Town outlet sewer on January 29, 1937. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a section of the West Town Outlet Sewer on June 9, 1937. |
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| MWRD posted Intercepting sewer construction on November 6, 1934. |
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| MWRD posted A completed section of sewer is seen in a trench prior to backfilling during intercepting sewer construction in an unknown location on July 9, 1928. |
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| MWRD posted Sewer construction in Wilmette, Illinois, on July 3, 1914. [I wish I could see a side view. I'm having a hard time figuring out what that machine is doing.] |
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| MWRD posted Sewer construction in Village of Wilmette on July 3, 1914. |
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| MWRD posted on Apr 18, 2022 Intercepting sewer construction in an unknown location on March 12, 1928. |
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| MWRD posted on May 6, 2022 Intercepting sewer construction in an unknown location on March 12, 1928. |
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| MWRD posted on June 20, 2022 Miners pose for a photo during tunnel excavation in an unknown location on December 21, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted Tunnel excavation for a section of Intercepting Sewer in an unknown location on March 29, 1928. |
I don't know where West Town is.
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| MWRD posted on Nov 1, 2022 Construction of a section of the West Town Outlet Sewer on June 9, 1937. |
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| MWRD posted on Nov 24, 2022 Intercepting sewer construction on November 6, 1934. |
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| MWRD posted Intercepting sewer construction in an unknown location on November 13, 1931. |
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| MWRD posted Excavation for a section of intercepting sewer in an unknown location on February 14, 1928. |
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Fantastic photos, the scope of work that was involved is bearly known today by most.
ReplyDeleteFor give me, but how did they pour concrete and form the tunnels in the sections where it's tunneled? I'm not understanding about the forms and such.
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