Franklin Street Terminal
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1892 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | Chicago |
Key people | Dickinson MacAllister (receiver), R. E. Jenkins (president) |
| Products | Elevated railroad transit |
The Franklin Street Terminal served as the eastern endpoint of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad on Chicago's Chicago "L" system from 1895 until 1897. Although originally intended to be located at Fifth Avenue, one block to the east, the high expenses associated with acquiring the necessary right-of-way compelled the company to establish its terminal and administrative offices on Franklin Street instead. Rather than demolishing existing structures, the company opted to remove interior floors above the ground level, allowing tracks to pass through these buildings.
While Metropolitan service commenced in 1895, operations at the Franklin Street Terminal were postponed by more than a week. The inauguration of The Loop in 1897 redirected all Metropolitan trains onto this downtown elevated circuit, resulting in the terminal’s shutdown—rendering it one of the shortest-operating stations in the history of the "L". Although the terminal was probably dismantled shortly afterward, its foundational infrastructure continued to be utilized until the mid-1900s.
The persistent congestion within The Loop underscored the necessity for a new terminal capable of accommodating increased passenger volumes. This demand culminated in the opening of a terminal at Fifth Avenue (Wells Street) in 1904, aligning with the company’s initial preference for that location.
History
The Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad Company, a major contributor to Chicago's Chicago "L", secured a 50-year franchise from the Chicago City Council on April 7, 1892, and promptly began obtaining right-of-way. The system featured a main line extending westward from downtown to Marshfield, where it branched into three directions: northwest toward Logan Square, west toward Garfield Park, and southwest toward Douglas Park. An additional branch extended further west from Logan Square to Humboldt Park. Unlike its competitors—the South Side and Lake Street Elevated railroads—the Metropolitan never operated steam-powered trains. Instead, it transitioned to electric traction in May 1894, becoming the first electric elevated railroad in the United States. By October 1894, tracks on the Logan Square branch were completed and were electrically powered for testing by April 1895.
Although authorized to extend as far east as Fifth Avenue downtown, prohibitive property prices caused the Metropolitan to shorten its line to Franklin Street, situated just east of the Chicago River. This section was expensive due to two multi-story office buildings retained between Market and Franklin streets. The second and third floors of these buildings were gutted to create terminal space; meanwhile, the Metropolitan occupied these upper floors for its offices and leased additional office areas above the terminal.
Service officially began at 6 a.m. on May 6, 1895, running between Robey on Logan Square branch and Canal on the main line west of the river. The Franklin Street Terminal opened later on May 17 following delays related to bridge construction.
Initially managed by the West Side Construction Company—the firm responsible for building the lines—operations formally transferred to the Metropolitan on October 6, 1896; both entities shared common investors and leadership. However, heavy construction expenses placed financial strain on the Metropolitan, leading to receivership on January 20, 1897, after it defaulted on $37,500 in interest payments. Dickinson MacAllister, who served as both civil engineer and director for the company, was appointed as receiver.
Closure
On December 19, 1894, R. E. Jenkins, president of the Metropolitan, along with the leaders of the South Side, Lake Street, and Northwestern Elevated companies—key operators of the Chicago "L" system—concurred to forgo individual downtown terminal enhancements. Instead, they chose to adopt the Union Elevated Railroad Company's proposed railroad loop as a means to consolidate their services.
The Loop commenced operations on October 11, 1897, which resulted in the shutdown of the Franklin Street Terminal as all train services were redirected there. The terminal's closure is largely due to its confined placement between Franklin Street and the Chicago River, making it the second shortest-lived station in the history of the "L," surpassed only by Jackson Park station.
In March 1898, the Metropolitan handed over its perpetual rights to the terminal to the West Side Construction Company as settlement for additional fees.
As congestion increased on The Loop, the Metropolitan utilized stub tracks beyond Canal to reverse surplus trains carrying west side factory workers who were not destined for downtown. To alleviate these capacity challenges, a new terminal at Fifth Avenue—known as Wells Street Terminal—was constructed in 1904.
Station details
No interior photographs are known to exist due to the station’s brief period of operation. The facility comprised two tracks that immediately expanded into four just outside the station limits, all controlled by an interlocking tower mounted on a 40-foot steel structure. A one-inch pipe network linked switches, locks, and signaling devices. Daily operations involved 1,286 trains and 2,794 cars. The interlocking system received commendation from Railway Age in 1896 for its advanced signaling capabilities.
The station featured two tracks bordered by three platforms, each designed to handle trains consisting of five cars. Its track infrastructure included 34 functional levers along with ten reserved spares. Operation of the drawbridge was managed from towers positioned on both sides of the Chicago River; engineer William Scherzer devised a pair of side-by-side drawbridges carrying dual tracks to accommodate the river’s narrow width.
Unlike rival lines such as the South Side and Lake Street Elevateds that relied on steam power, the Metropolitan adopted electric traction in May 1894, becoming the first elevated railroad in the United States to do so. The drawbridge was engineered to interrupt electrical current when open; combined with its sloped design, this safety feature prevented trains from proceeding off the tracks even if a motorman failed to halt in time.