This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Interurban Line Shaped South Suburbs Growth and Decline
The Chicago and Southern Traction Company known as the Kankakee Line connected 69th Street Chicago to Blue Island Harvey Chicago Heights Crete Monee and Peotone and ended near Kankakee. Begun in 1906 it provided frequent Chicago access spurring development and real estate advertising while carrying funerals to cemeteries and even mental patients to a state hospital. It faced financial trouble and competition from cars and Route 1 Dixie Highway, was reorganized in 1912, and ended in 1927 with the last cars running April 23.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago Heights
the Star
Englewood and Chicago Electric Street Railway Company
Blue Island
Chicago
C & ST
Halsted
79Th
Vincennes Avenue
Dixmoor
Harvey
Halsted Street
Steger
Crete
Monee
Illinois Central
Kankakee
Peotone
Fourth Street
South Street
Cook County Hospital
State Hospital
Chicago and Interurban Traction Company
Lafayette
Ind
Samuel Insull
Loop
Matteson