Eric Sibul posted two photos with the comment:
"Patients were sent by a special streetcar as well as a...[Milwaukee Road] railroad car from the Cook County Detention Hospital to Dunning. It was a hospital car with a doctor and a couple of nurses aboard. The train car was called the ‘crazy train’ and had a security guard at each exit so inmates couldn’t escape." Photos Inmate car and Dunning Asylum (Illinois Digital History Library)Maria Klein: Where was Dunning?
Eric Sibul: North of Irving Park - Jefferson Park/Harwood Heights - Wilbur Wright College is built on the site. The last two remaining buildings of facility are now the Chicago Latvian Lutheran Church and School. [I could not find these buildings.]
Jon Roma: Here's a description of the Dunning neighborhood of Chicago's northwest side, along with mention of the asylum there: http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/395.html.
Paul Musselman: In the Mount Olive cemetery, you can see the right of way for the tracks that went thru going toward Dunning..there is still a "8 miles per hour" speed limit sign from WAY BACK, at the old ROW.....
Doug Kaniuk: Notes: the Milwaukee branch (from the south) to Dunning ended before Montrose Ave., The two lines were never connected. The line was never connected at Irving Park. The line was built as a rate disput between railroads. Only service on the line were work trains to maintain the tracks. All service on the line ended in 1905, tracks removed 1910. Land that the track was on disposed by the B&OCT 1910 to 1940.
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Marie's comment I include the Mt. Olive Cemetery because that would have been an important source of revenue for the Milwaukee Road back at the interesting turn of the century. 1953 River Forest Quadrangle @ 1:24,000 |
The "crazy train" topic first came up in this post:
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| Charles Shallcross posted This 1908 map shows a branch line connecting with the Milwaukee Road just south of Mayfair Station in Chicago. The branch appears to run west out toward the old County Farm grounds. Does anyone have any information on this branch line? Eric Sibul: Perhaps the line to the the Dunning Asylum "After a single three-mile track was extended to the facilities in 1882, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul “crazy train” brought patients, supplies, and medicines. The county built a station, naming it for Dunning" http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/395.html Edward Moran: My mom grew up near the area now known as Hiawatha Park at Forest Preserve Drive. She said she never saw a train on the line except when they tore up the tracks, I think after WWII. This line is the present day Forest Preserve Drive between Montrose and Belmont. You can still see a bride abutment over the Des Plaines River when you are driving east on Belmont. It is on the SE side of the bridge. |
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| Jon Roma commented on Charles' post Hopefully this snippet from a Rand McNally map dated 1901 will be more legible. This branch line has always been something of a mystery. |
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| Charles Lablanc commented on Charles' post Here is a detailed map of the branch |
Daniel Christen commented on Charles' post: "Sunnyside is extra wide where it used to run."
It appears they rebuilt the street on the east side to get more housing lots. But we can still see that extra width on the west side.
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Edward's comment It is visible on the right side even though the river is running high. Sep 2019 |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Charles post Given that the route shows up on a 1901 Rand McNally Map, I'm disappointed that this topo map doesn't show it. 1901 Riverside Quadrangle @ 1:62,500 |
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| Neil Gale posted Opened in 1854 as the Cook County Infirmary, a "poor farm" and almshouse. The account of events will send chills down your spine. An eye-opening article... but, after all, it is a part of Chicago's history. How can 38,000+ people be buried in mass graves and then forgotten? CLICK TO READ ─► https://drloihjournal.blogspot.com/.../the-story-of... |
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