Maps of Railroads in Southeast Chicago

I know enough about the railroads in Southeast Chicago to know that it was a spaghetti bowl of tracks. Because there was a lot of industry in the area, one railroad would build tracks along side another railroad just to access a large industry. These maps help untangle the noodles.

Michael Mora posted seven images with the comment:

U.S. government maps of just some of the railways that ran through Southeast Side, 1916-1919: Chicago & Calumet River Railroad; Chicago & Western Indiana Railway; Calumet Western Railway; Chicago Short Line Railway; Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway; Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad; Pennsylvania Railroad. Interstate Commerce Commission, U.S. National Archives, catalog.archives.gov

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Daniel Bovino posted

Here’s a late 1880’s view of Roseland, Pullman, and the Calumet region. It shows a Lake Calumet in its original state and other lakes that have since been filled in. Hyde Lake is almost completely gone. Wolf Lake and Lake George have also been altered by the industrial push into this region over the last 150 years. Thankfully, some of our remaining area wetlands are under restoration. 

I received this wonderful map from Mendel Alumni, John Ormsby.

John Ormsby: Map taken from Library of Congress. Map Room in Jefferson Building

Paul Jevert shared

1880's topographical map of the southside at that time unincorporated into the City!

Back in 1916-19, the C&WI still owned the BRC tracks. BRC was created for the freight operations so that C&WI could concentrate on passenger service to the Dearborn Station.