Northwestern Elevated Railroad
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rapid transit |
| Founded | 1893-10-30 |
| Fate | Merged into Chicago Rapid Transit Company in 1924 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | Chicago, Illinois |
The Northwestern Elevated Railroad holds the distinction of being the final rapid transit line in Chicago constructed by a private entity. Its route extended from the Loop in downtown Chicago northward to Wilson Avenue in the Uptown district, featuring a branch line that split off at Clark Street toward Ravenswood and Albany Park. Today, the Ravenswood branch operates as the Brown Line, while the main corridor is served by both the Purple and Red Line.
Origins
The Northwestern Elevated Railroad Company was officially established on October 30, 1893, and was granted a 50-year franchise by the city of Chicago on January 8, 1894.[1] Initially, the franchise mandated that service must be operational between downtown and Wilson Avenue by December 31, 1897. This requirement was revised in 1895 to include a connection to the newly constructed Union Loop, with the completion deadline extended to May 31, 1899.
Construction commenced in February 1896 but was interrupted by financial difficulties, causing work to cease in 1897.[2] After securing new funding, construction resumed in July 1899. To comply with franchise conditions, a ceremonial inaugural train ran on December 31, 1899; however, city authorities deemed the railroad unsafe and allowed the franchise to expire on January 1, 1900.
Despite this ruling, the company operated another train service the very next day. Police officers intervened and detained the crew, but company representatives took control of operations and successfully ran the train into the Loop. In an effort to prevent its return journey, officials opened the Wells Street bridge and obstructed tracks; nevertheless, company personnel circumvented police efforts by diverting onto the Lake Street Elevated Railroad. Ultimately, an agreement was reached with city officials, leading to the official opening of the initial segment on May 31, 1900.[3]
Growth
In May 1907, a branch line to Ravenswood was inaugurated by the Northwestern Elevated Railroad. This line branched off just south of Clark Street and extended to Western Avenue. By December of that year, an at-grade extension reached its terminal point at .
By May 1908, service had been lengthened by seven miles northward from Wilson terminal to Central Street located in suburban Evanston. This extension utilized electrified tracks belonging to the Milwaukee Road's Chicago and Evanston line and initially connected via a wooden trestle incline at Wilson.
To facilitate these expansions, Milwaukee Road depots at stations such as Argyle Park, Edgewater, among others were demolished and replaced temporarily with island platform stations. Additional stops were introduced at Hayes Street and Howard Avenue. The southern portion of Evanston’s route between Howard Avenue and University Place was elevated by 1910; subsequent elevation work between Lawrence and Howard was completed in 1922.
A brief extension from Central further north to Linden Avenue in Wilmette was finalized in April 1912.
Consolidation
In 1913, the four elevated railway operators in Chicago established the Chicago Elevated Railways Collateral Trust, which facilitated the introduction of crosstown train services for the first time. A decade later, in 1924, these entities officially combined to form the Chicago Rapid Transit Company. Subsequently, in 1947, the Chicago Transit Authority took ownership of CRT's properties and operations.
Footnotes