Sarah Buys & Sells
  • Real Estate
  • Client Reviews
  • Real Estate & History Blog
  • Architectural Photography
  • Website Design
  • Video Design
  • Contact

Real Estate
&
History Blog

North Shore Transportation Then & Now

12/19/2014

0 Comments

 
In the past, I have written here why currently the residents of Wilmette have great transportation options.  Want to go back in a time machine with me to see what past north shore residents' options were?  I sure do.  Buckle up...here we go!         (and thank you JJ Sedelmaier and www.northshoreline.com)


Picture

The North Shore Line, concrete chunks & Frank Lloyd Wright

See in these photos the old concrete bases of a long-gone train platform?   Those are just north of the Elm Street Metra train station off to the side of the Metra tracks.  These used to be for the North Shore Line. 

Picture
Picture
This interurban railroad line operated between Chicago and Milwaukee from 1916 to 1963.    Basically it ran along where the Metra Kenosha line is today.

From Wikipedia (sorry but in a rush today): "

The North Shore Line of 1916 consisted of a main line whose southern terminus was at Church Street in Evanston, Illinois, somewhat north of the Chicago city limits. The line continued north through Chicago's wealthy north shore communities along Lake Michigan — Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, and Highland Park. The line continued through Highwood, home of the railroad's headquarters and main shops, and continued through Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, North Chicago, and Waukegan. From Waukegan, the line traversed Zion before entering Wisconsin and tapping Kenosha and Racine, before reaching its northern terminus in Milwaukee. The entire main line in Illinois was double track, but pockets of single track remained in Wisconsin. While some of the line was street trackage, most was on private right-of-way which, along with the paralleling line of the Chicago and North Western Railway bisected the business districts of the north shore communities as far north as Lake Bluff.

At Lake Bluff, a branch diverged to the west to serve Libertyville and Area, now Mundelein. At North Chicago Junction, a branch led to downtown Waukegan via city streets."

Picture
100 years ago Frank Lloyd Wright began building homes, a bridge and the North Shore Line's train station in Glencoe.  The station was at Maple Hill and Old Green Bay Road.  The village this year has many wonderful events to mark this anniversary.   Go see more at  http://glencoe.chicagotribune.com/2014/09/29/glencoe-historians-seek-celebrate-frank-lloyd-wright/.
Picture
In Wilmette this railroad ran down Greenleaf connecting the 4th & Linden area to downtown Wilmette.  Today you can see Greenleaf is a wider street than many of the others nearby.

The ultimate source of great information about this line is:  www.northshoreline.com

Next post....The Skokie Valley Route

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    February 2024
    August 2023
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    January 2021
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    September 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014

    Categories

    All
    Evanston
    Glencoe
    Highland-park
    Kenilworth
    Lake Bluff
    Lake Forest
    Morton Grove
    Skokie
    Wilmette
    Winnetka

    Author

    Sarah Rothschild, Realtor & Architectural History Nerd.

    RSS Feed

Picture
Sarah Rothschild reviews
Picture
Picture
[email protected]
847/361.9057
© 2025   Sarah J Rothschild
Photo from Danijel J
  • Real Estate
  • Client Reviews
  • Real Estate & History Blog
  • Architectural Photography
  • Website Design
  • Video Design
  • Contact