The Archives received a new donation this week. A beautiful map depicting the railroad lines in Illinois as they existed in 1892. Officially tilted “Railroad map of Illinois, 1892 prepared under the direction of and presented by, John R. Wheeler, Isaac N. Phillips, and J.C. Willis, Railroad and Warehouse Commissioners” the map was presented as part of the Illinois Railroad and Warehouse Commission’s 21st annual report in 1891.
As a crossroads state, railroads were crucial to the development of Illinois and especially to Urbana-Champaign. Champaign County, and Urbana as the county seat, was established February 20, 1833, and in its first twenty years the pioneer town experienced little growth. In 1853, Urbana had 400 residents. Less than a year later (1855), after the completion of the Illinois Central Railroad line between Chicago and West Urbana (July 24, 1854), the population of Urbana had soared to 1500 and West Urbana, the new town that developed at the railroad line, had 800 residents.
Our map shows the explosion of railways that developed in the 50 years since the first railway lines were constructed in Illinois in the late 1840s. Champaign, by 1892, had three main lines that served 17 different railroad companies.
Each colored line represents the contractual agreement of multiple railroad and in some cases the local feeder lines and trunk lines on the route.
Black Line:
Illinois Central Railroad Company (Ill Cent)
Peoria & Pekin Union Railway Company (Peo & Pek Unon)
Belt Railway of Chicago & Chicago & Western Indiana Railroad Company (Belt R’y and Chi W Ind)
East St. Louis & Carondelet Railway Company (E St L & Car)
Chicago & Calument Terminal Railway Company (C & C T)
Green Line:
Chicago & Ohio River Railroad Company (Chi & O Riv )
Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company (L & N)
Grand Tower & Carbondale Railroad Company (Gr T & Car)
Iowa Central Railway Company (Ia Cen)
Chicago & Erie Railroad Company (C & E)
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company (C, M & St P)
Wabash Railroad Company (C, M & St P)
Grand Tower & Cape Girardeau Railroad Company (G T & C G)
Orange Line:
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway Company (C, C, C & St L)
Rock Island & Peoria Railway Company (R I & P)
Centralia & Chester Railroad Company (C & C)
Michigan Central Railroad Company (M C)
Come see our newest addition in person, or you may view our digitized photos of the construction of the Champaign depot and the Illinois Central Railroad freight house no matter your locatation.
- Sherrie, Archives Librarian