Logan Square station (CTA Logan Square branch)

Logan Square was an elevated stop on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving both the Logan Square branch and the surrounding Logan Square community.

History

Established in 1895 as part of the extension of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated line, Logan Square functioned as the endpoint of the West-Northwest Route (the forerunner to the Blue Line) until 1970. That year marked the expansion of the route along the Kennedy Expressway toward Jefferson Park, resulting in the removal of the elevated station and its substitution with a subway facility.

Operations and connections

On August 19, 1906, streetcars took over from cable cars along Milwaukee Avenue between Lawrence and downtown. The line was extended from Lawrence to Imlay near the Forest Preserve in 1914, with through-routing commencing in 1927. While single-car streetcars were commonly used, two-car multiple-unit trains operated briefly between 1925 and 1929. By 1928, overnight owl service ran at intervals of 15 to 30 minutes, and daytime services occurred every eight to fifteen minutes. Weekend streetcar service was replaced by buses in 1951, with full bus substitution completed by May 1952.

Starting December 31, 1915, "Through Route 17" (T.R. 17) streetcars were rerouted onto Milwaukee Avenue between Kedzie and California Avenues. By 1928, T.R. 17 provided owl service every 15 minutes overnight, linking locations between 47th Street and Foster Avenue. The Kedzie-Homan bus replaced T.R. 17 streetcars in December 1949; however, local streetcars continued operating on weekends until May 1952 and on weekdays until May 1954.