Laflin station
| Company type | Rapid transit station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1895 |
| Defunct | 1951 |
| Fate | Closed due to insufficient passenger numbers; main line dismantled for expressway and Congress Line construction |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | Chicago metropolitan area |
Laflin served as a rapid transit stop on the Metropolitan main line of Chicago's "L" system, operating from 1895 until its discontinuation in 1951 due to insufficient passenger numbers. The original main line was subsequently dismantled to accommodate the Eisenhower Expressway and its accompanying Congress Line, with Laflin's coverage area being succeeded by the Racine station entrance on the new route.
History
In 1892, the Chicago City Council granted the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad Company a 50-year franchise, which was soon followed by securing the necessary right of way. The system's layout featured a primary line extending westward from downtown Chicago to Marshfield, where it branched off northwest toward Logan Square, westward to Garfield Park, and southwest to Douglas Park. Additionally, a branch line from Logan Square served Humboldt Park.
Distinguishing itself from rival lines, the Metropolitan opted against steam locomotives and instead implemented electrified tracks starting in May 1894, becoming the first elevated railroad in the United States to operate electrically. Service commenced on May 6, 1895, with eleven stations in operation, including Laflin.
Initially managed by the West Side Construction Company, operational control shifted to the Metropolitan in 1896. Financial difficulties led to receivership in 1897; subsequently, a reorganized entity named the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railway Company assumed control in 1899. In 1911, it became part of the Chicago Elevated Railways (CER) trust, which centralized management and introduced free transfers while retaining individual company identities. These companies officially merged into the Chicago Rapid Transit Company (CRT) in 1924, designating the former Metropolitan lines as its Metropolitan Division.
Public ownership began with the establishment of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in 1945, which took over "L" operations by 1947.
Closure and demolition
Significant modifications to the Garfield Park and Douglas Park branches took effect on December 9, 1951. The Westchester branch, an extension westward from Garfield Park, was discontinued and replaced by bus service. On Sundays, rail service beyond Laramie—including bus routes substituting for the Westchester branch—was replaced by two bus lines connecting with the Lake Street Elevated; buses serving Westchester connected at Marion, while those for Garfield Park connected at Central. Laflin station was among seven stations on the Douglas Park branch closed at this time. Additionally, skip-stop service was implemented on remaining operational segments.
Tracks through Laflin were abandoned in 1954 when the main line was removed to allow construction of the Congress Line, which opened its Racine station in 1958 with an entrance located one block east of Laflin Street.
Accidents and incidents
On August 8, 1895, a westbound train was inadvertently switched onto a track occupied by a stationary three-car train at Laflin, resulting in a rear-end collision. Two maintenance workers oiling the rear car were trapped on the tracks and sustained serious injuries. Although the impact caused derailment, no fire broke out and cars remained repairable. Service experienced a delay of approximately thirty minutes following the incident.
Station details
The station building at Laflin was constructed using red pressed brick set upon a stone foundation, featuring painted interior walls, hardwood flooring, restroom facilities, and a water heater.
Initially, the main line stations with four tracks, including Laflin, utilized two island platforms positioned between the inner and outer tracks. This arrangement resulted in dangerous curves on the outer tracks, which led to a reconstruction effort between 1898 and 1914. The redesign introduced two side platforms serving the outer tracks and a single island platform located between the inner tracks. These platforms were equipped with canopies framed from cast iron and topped with corrugated tin hipped roofs.
In 1905, an elevator was installed at Laflin (as well as at Hoyne station) specifically to transport caskets for the Metropolitan's funeral train services connecting to suburban cemeteries such as Waldheim and Mount Carmel. Although there were initial intentions to add more casket elevators, these plans were ultimately scrapped since pallbearers could carry caskets up stairways. The funeral train operations ceased in 1934 due to improvements in road infrastructure and the rise of automobile transportation.
Ridership
Between 1900 and 1951, Laflin consistently ranked as the station with the lowest ridership on the main line, except for 1904 when service was limited due to the delayed opening of the Wells Street Terminal. The station's highest annual passenger count reached 623,529 in 1924; however, after 1927, it never again exceeded 500,000 riders per year—a benchmark all other main line stations surpassed during the early half of the 20th century. In its last operational year of 1951, Laflin accommodated 94,764 passengers, whereas Wells Street Terminal recorded 272,169. Ridership at Laflin dropped sharply from 225,890 in 1949 to 120,915 in 1950—a decline of 46.47%—placing it as the 110th busiest among 123 partially staffed "L" stations. Early in 1951, it fell further to rank 117th out of 131 similar stations. By 1950, several branch lines had unstaffed stops that did not report ridership figures; likewise, some branches discontinued detailed passenger data collection prior to their closure. The inauguration of the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway in 1951 and various station closures that year—including the launch of Central Park station on the Douglas branch—signaled notable changes within the transit network.