Division station (CTA Logan Square branch)

Last updated

DIVISION
 
1200N
1700W
Former Chicago 'L' rapid transit station
Chicago-Metropolitan-Station.png
Typical station on the Metropolitan's double-tracked lines, of which Division was an example
General information
LocationWest Division Street
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Coordinates 41°54′12″N87°40′14″W / 41.9032°N 87.6705°W / 41.9032; -87.6705
Owned by Chicago Transit Authority (1947–1951)
Chicago Rapid Transit Company (1924–1947)
See text before 1924
Line(s) Logan Square branch
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Construction
Structure typeElevated
History
OpenedMay 6, 1895;129 years ago (1895-05-06)
ClosedFebruary 25, 1951;73 years ago (1951-02-25)
Passengers
1948353,570 Decrease2.svg 17.64%(CTA)
Rank128 out of 223
Former services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station
Damen
toward Logan Square
Logan Square branch Chicago
toward Marshfield
Location
Division station (CTA Logan Square branch)

Division was a rapid transit station on the Chicago "L" 's Logan Square branch, one of several branches of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad. Located on Division Street, the station was constructed by the Metropolitan in the early 1890s and began service on May 6, 1895.

Contents

The Metropolitan, one of four companies that would build what became the Chicago "L", had many branches to serve Chicago's west side, including the Logan Square branch. With some interruptions and financial issues, it operated these lines until 1911, when it handed operations to Chicago Elevated Railways, and formally merged into the Chicago Rapid Transit Company (CRT) in 1924. The "L" was taken over by the publicly-held Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in 1947.

A subway had been planned since the late 1930s to reach downtown in a more direct way than the portion of the Logan Square branch where Division stood. This subway was originally intended to supplement the old elevated Logan Square branch, but the CTA sought to simplify its routing and saw no need for the old branch's continued existence. The subway opened on February 25, 1951, with a station of its own on Division Street; the old Division station was then closed along with the others on the affected part of the branch. The station and its trackage remained in non-revenue service until it was demolished and the property sold off in 1964.

Division was typical of the Metropolitan's stations, with two wooden side platforms and a brick station house at street level. For most of its existence it connected with two streetcar routes, one local and one express; the "L" and express streetcar had owl service, while the local streetcar did not.

History

The Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad Company was granted a 50-year franchise by the Chicago City Council on April 7, 1892, [1] and began securing right of way shortly thereafter. [2] As designed, the Metropolitan's operations would comprise a main line that went west from downtown to Marshfield, where three branches – one northwest to Logan Square, one due west to Garfield Park, and one southwest to Douglas Park  –would diverge and serve various parts of Chicago's west side. [3] A further branch to Humboldt Park would proceed due west from the Logan Square branch just past Robey station. [lower-alpha 1] [3] [4] The Metropolitan's tracks on the Logan Square branch were finished by the middle of October 1894, and were powered on in April 1895 for test and inspection runs. [4] The Metropolitan began service at 6 a.m. on Monday, May 6, 1895, between Robey on the Logan Square branch [lower-alpha 1] and Canal on the main line. [6] Eleven stations opened that day, one of which was on Division Street. [6]

The Metropolitan's lines were originally operated by the West Side Construction Company, which had been responsible for constructing them, and would be transferred to the Metropolitan on October 6, 1896. [7] The backers and officers of the two companies were largely identical, however, so this transfer of ownership was nominal. [3] [7] The expenses incurred in constructing the Metropolitan's vast trackage would come back to haunt the company, which entered receivership in 1897; the similarly-named Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railway Company was organized in January 1899 and assumed operations on February 3 of that year. [8] The new Metropolitan, along with the other companies operating "L" lines in Chicago, became a part of the Chicago Elevated Railways (CER) trust on July 1, 1911. [9] CER acted as a de facto holding company for the "L" –unifying its operations, instituting the same management across the companies, and instituting free transfers between the lines starting in 1913 –but kept the underlying companies intact. [10] This continued until the companies were formally merged into the single Chicago Rapid Transit Company (CRT) in 1924, which assumed operations on January 9; the former Metropolitan was designated the Metropolitan division of the CRT for administrative purposes. [11] Although municipal ownership of transit had been a hotly-contested issue for half a century, the publicly-owned Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) would not be created until 1945, [12] or assume operation of the "L" until October 1, 1947. [13]

Closure and demolition

Plans for Chicago to have a subway system to relieve the severe congestion of, if not replace, its elevated trackage dated back to the early 20th century, but the city lagged in building subways. [14] Chicago petitioned the Public Works Administration (PWA) for construction funds for a subway under State Street in 1937. [15] Originally included in the petition was a proposal for two downtown east-west streetcar tunnels. [16] Harold L. Ickes, the administrator of the PWA and a longtime Chicagoan, vetoed the streetcar tunnel plan and insisted instead on a second subway that would go under Dearborn Street and Milwaukee Avenue, which would provide a more direct route from Logan Square to downtown. [16] Although this idea engendered considerable local opposition, especially from mayor Edward Joseph Kelly, Ickes's influence in the federal government led to the Dearborn plan being adopted in 1938. [16]

The subway's approval did not immediately imply the end of the old Logan Square branch. Damen Tower, serving the Humboldt Park branch divergence, was rebuilt with the expectation that it also would switch trains between the subway and the elevated, in the same manner as the State Street subway supplementing the earlier elevated North Side main line, [17] and as late as 1949 commuters were promised such a setup that would have preserved the old Logan Square trackage. [18] However, the CTA had no interest in operating either the old Logan Square elevated or the Humboldt Park branch; the new Damen Tower would never be installed with switching equipment, and the Logan Square branch south of Damen would be closed after the subway opened. [17]

World War II interrupted the construction of the subway; although the federal government allowed the continued construction of the State Street subway, it did not do so for the Dearborn subway despite its being 82 percent complete in 1942. [19] After the war ended, work resumed on the Dearborn subway and it opened at midnight Sunday, February 25, 1951. [19] The subway was predicted to reduce the travel time between Logan Square and downtown from 28 minutes to 15. [19] Despite complaints from riders no longer given a direct trip to the Near West Side, [20] [21] the new subway had over 60 percent higher ridership than the old Logan Square branch by the end of the year. [22] The subway contains a station of its own on Division Street. [19]

The old Logan Square trackage south of its entrance to the subway became known as the Paulina Connector, connecting the branch with the rest of the "L" system now that it no longer had revenue service to the Loop. [23] Wooden parts from the old stations on the Connector, including Division, were removed to reduce fire hazards, as were the lowest flights of stairs to deter trespassing. [24] The old northbound track was removed in 1957 while the southbound track continued non-revenue operations. [23] The portion of the Connector north of Kinzie Street, including where Division, Chicago, and Grand stations stood, was demolished in 1964 and the right of way sold to adjacent landowners. [25]

Accidents and incidents

On January 9, 1903, Mary Burke, the station agent on duty, was robbed of $35 ($1,100 in 2021) by three men. Shortly thereafter, a former bill poster for the Metropolitan was arrested in connection with the robbery and confessed to it, but refused to name his accomplices. [26]

Station details

The station house at California in 2011; Division's station house was of a similar design. California CTA Blue Line Station.jpg
The station house at California in 2011; Division's station house was of a similar design.

Division had two wooden side platforms at its tracks and a station house at street level. The station house, made of red pressed brick and white limestone trim with a stone sill and foundation, was designed similarly to other stations on the Logan Square branch, surviving examples of which are at California and Damen, with a corniced and dentiled front bay containing dual doors specifically marked "Entrance" and "Exit" and prolific use of terra cotta. Its platforms had hipped roof tin canopies in the center and decorative cast-iron railings with diamond designs. [24] [27] Unlike elsewhere on the "L", station houses on the Metropolitan had central heating and a basement. [7] The Metropolitan's tracks and stations were constructed by the West Side Construction Company, a company with the same officers as the Metropolitan itself and the chief engineer of E. W. Elliot, with steel and iron from the Carnegie Steel Company. [7] [3]

Operations and connections

As originally opened, the Metropolitan's trains ran every six minutes between 6 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and every ten minutes during the night; the average speed was 16 mph (26 km/h). [6] Unlike the Lake Street Elevated, which offered smoking and non-smoking cars, all of the Metropolitan's cars allowed smoking. [6] Smoking was banned by the city across the "L" and in streetcars in response to a 1918 influenza outbreak, a prohibition that has remained in force ever since. [28]

The fare across the "L" was legally mandated to be a nickel (5 cents, $1.37 in 2021) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This fare continued until temporarily increased by a cent to $0.06 ($1.27 in 2021) in 1917 before stabilizing to a dime (10 cents, $1.35 in 2021) in 1920. [29] Starting in 1922, fares were usually marketed in packs of three for 25 cents, or 8+1⁄3 cents per ride ($1.35 in 2021), but individual fares remained 10 cents each. [30] At the same time, a weekly pass was introduced, the first in a major American city, for $1.25 ($20.24 in 2021) for rides outside of Evanston and Wilmette. [30] Fare control was usually by a station agent posted 24 hours a day, but conductors were used instead during night and off-peak hours from 1931 to 1934, and during 1936 and 1937. [31]

When the Division station opened, Division Street had had a downtown-bound horse car service between Mozart Street and Milwaukee Avenue since June 27, 1890; this route included the site of the station. [32] Initially these cars were pulled by cable cars on Milwaukee Avenue, but the route was electrified in 1896. [32] By 1896, this was joined by a local streetcar on Division Street between Mozart and Wells Streets, also serving the station. [33] As of 1928, the local service had no owl service, the last westbound car leaving Wells at 12:28 a.m., while the downtown service did, offering thirty-minute car intervals between 1:02 and 5:02 a.m.; [34] during the day, streetcar lines in Chicago typically had intervals of between eight and fifteen minutes per car. [35] The downtown service was closed on Sundays on March 6, 1932, to cut costs. [33] The local service was extended from Wells Street to 21st and State Streets on August 19, 1937; by October 11, local Division cars were through-routed with cars on Van Buren Street about 2 mi (3.2 km) to the south in a U-shaped configuration from downtown. [32] This continued with minor service detours until the CTA replaced the route with buses on February 4, 1951, on which date the downtown route was also abandoned. [32] This bus route was a combination of the old streetcar services and a through-routing between another streetcar line on Division Street, about 1 mile (1.6 km) from Mozart and 2.5 mi (4.0 km) from the station; a bus to combine the two stretches of streetcars on Division was instituted on October 1, 1941, and had replaced the western stretch of track altogether on July 9, 1946. [32]

Ridership

In 1948, the last year records are available, Division served 353,570 passengers, a 17.64 percent decrease from the 429,315 riders of 1947. [36]

In 1948, it was the 128th-most ridden of the 223 stations on the "L" at the beginning of the year that recorded ridership; in 1947, it had been the 115th-most ridden of 222 such stations. [lower-alpha 2] [39]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Technically, the Logan Square branch started after Robey and was, like the Humboldt Park branch, a divergence from what was formally known as the "Northwest branch". [4] However, as early as 1898, even the Metropolitan itself was referring to the Northwest branch as part of the "Logan Square branch". [5]
  2. ↑ Several stations on the Niles Center and Westchester branches did not collect ridership statistics. [37] Several stations closed on the "L" during 1948. [38] Exchange station on the Stock Yards branch discontinued statistics after 1946, but adjacent Racine station began collecting them in 1948. [36]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Line (CTA)</span> Rapid transit line in Chicago

The Blue Line is a 26.93-mile-long (43.34 km) Chicago "L" line which extends through The Loop from O'Hare International Airport at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee–Dearborn subway and across the West Side to its southwest end at Forest Park, with a total of 33 stations. At about 27 miles, it is the longest line on the Chicago "L" system and second busiest, and one of the longest local subway/elevated lines in the world. It has an average of 64,978 passengers boarding each weekday in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wells Street Terminal</span> Rail terminal in Chicago, 1904–1953

Wells Street Terminal was a stub-end downtown terminal on the 'L' in Chicago, Illinois, located at Wells Street between Jackson Boulevard and Van Buren Street. The terminal was in operation from 1904 to 1953.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western station (CTA Blue Line O'Hare branch)</span> Chicago rapid transit station

Western is an elevated rapid transit station on the Chicago "L"'s Blue Line, where it is located on the O'Hare branch. The station, opened in 1895, is located within the Bucktown neighborhood in the larger Logan Square community area. It has two side platforms at track level with a station house at street level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damen station (CTA Blue Line)</span> Rapid transit station in Chicago

Damen is a rapid transit station on the Chicago "L", currently serving the O'Hare branch of its Blue Line. Opened on May 6, 1895, as Robey, it is the oldest station on the Blue Line. The station serves the popular Bucktown and Wicker Park neighborhoods, and is consistently in the top 40 highest-ridership "L" stations. It has two wooden side platforms and a brick station house at street level. The west platform, serving southbound trains, contains a tower that has never been used but is a relic of the station's past. The station is served by three bus routes on Damen, Milwaukee, and North Avenues, which are each descended from streetcar lines on those streets in the early 20th century. The Blue Line has owl service; while the surrounding streetcar lines also had owl service in the early 20th century, the modern bus services do not.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad</span> Former Rapid Transit operator

The Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad was the third elevated rapid transit line to be built in Chicago, Illinois. It was the first of Chicago’s elevated lines to be electrically powered. The main line ran from downtown Chicago to Marshfield Avenue, with branches to Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Garfield Park, and Douglas Park. Portions of the system are still operated as sections of the Blue Line and the Pink Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan main line</span> Former rapid transit line in Chicago

The Metropolitan main line was a rapid transit line of the Chicago "L" system from 1895 to 1958. It ran west from downtown to a junction at Marshfield station. At this point the Garfield Park branch continued westward, while the Douglas Park branch turned south, and the Logan Square branch turned north with the Humboldt Park branch branching from it. In addition to serving the Chicago "L", its tracks and those of the Garfield Park branch also carried the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad, an interurban that served Chicago's western suburbs, between 1905 and 1953.

The Humboldt Park branch was a rapid transit line which was part of the Chicago "L" system from 1895 to 1952. The branch served the West Town and the Humboldt Park neighborhoods of Chicago and consisted of six elevated stations. It opened on July 29, 1895, and closed on May 4, 1952.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logan Square branch</span> Rapid transit line in Chicago

The Logan Square branch was an elevated rapid transit line of the Chicago "L", where it was one of the branches of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad. Diverging north from the Metropolitan's main line west of Marshfield station, it opened in 1895 and served Chicago's Logan Square and West Town neighborhoods. North of Damen station, the Humboldt Park branch diverged from the Logan Square branch, going west to serve Humboldt Park. The original Logan Square branch was separated into several sections in 1951, some of which remain in revenue service as of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franklin Street Terminal</span> Rapid transit station in Chicago, 1895–1897

The Franklin Street Terminal was a rapid transit station on the Chicago "L" that was the eastern terminus of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad from 1895 to 1897. The Metropolitan had intended to construct its eastern end at Fifth Avenue, a block east of Franklin Street, but right-of-way acquisition costs had proven prohibitive so it settled on Franklin Street to house its terminal and offices. Rather than demolish the buildings on the site, the company opted to gut their second and third floors and run its tracks through them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Street Transfer station</span> Rapid transit station in Chicago (1913–1951)

The Lake Street Transfer station was a rapid transit station on the Chicago "L", serving as a transfer station between its Lake Street Elevated Railroad and the Logan Square branch of its Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad. Located where the Logan Square branch crossed over the Lake Street Elevated, it was in service from 1913 to 1951, when it was rendered obsolete by the opening of the Dearborn Street subway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshfield station</span> Rapid transit station in Chicago, 1895–1954

Marshfield was a rapid transit station on the Chicago "L" in service between 1895 and 1954. Constructed by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad, it was the westernmost station of the Metropolitan's main line, which then diverged into three branches. Marshfield was also served by the Aurora Elgin and Chicago Railway (AE&C) and its descendant the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad (CA&E), an interurban, between 1905 and 1953.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madison station (CTA)</span> Rapid transit station in Chicago, 1895–1951

Madison was a rapid transit station on the Chicago "L"'s Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad, serving its Logan Square branch from 1895 to 1951. The station was typical of those constructed by the Metropolitan, with a Queen Anne station house and two wooden side platforms adjacent to the tracks. For much of its existence, Madison served the nearby sports arena Chicago Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laflin station</span> Rapid transit station in Chicago, 1895–1951

Laflin was a rapid transit station operated by the Chicago "L"'s Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad and located on its main line. The station existed from 1895 to 1951, when it was closed due to low ridership. The entire main line would soon be demolished for construction of the Eisenhower Expressway and its Congress Line, and the niche served by the Laflin would be filled by an entrance on the new line's Racine station.

Canal was a rapid transit station located on the Metropolitan main line of the Chicago "L" that was in service from 1895 to 1958, when the entire main line was replaced by the Congress Line located in the median of the nearby Eisenhower Expressway. Starting in 1927, the interurban Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad (CA&E) also served the station, continuing until 1953. The station connected with Chicago's Union Station, which was one of the city's rail terminals. One of the busiest stations on the Metropolitan's routes, and of the "L" in general, it opened a second entrance on Clinton Street in 1914.

Chicago was a rapid transit station on the Logan Square branch of the Chicago "L", one of the several branches of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad, between 1895 and 1951. Located on Chicago Avenue, the station was constructed by the Metropolitan in the early 1890s and began service on May 6, 1895.

Grand was a rapid transit station on the Chicago "L"'s Logan Square branch, one of the several branches of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad. Located on Grand Avenue, the station was constructed by the Metropolitan in the early 1890s and began service on May 6, 1895.

Western was a rapid transit station on the Chicago "L", serving the Humboldt Park branch of its Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad. It opened in 1895 and closed in 1952.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Louis station (CTA Garfield Park branch)</span> Rapid transit station in Chicago, 1895–1958

St. Louis was a rapid transit station on the Chicago "L" between 1895 and 1953. It was constructed by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad and served its Garfield Park branch. The Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad (CA&E), an interurban serving Chicago's western suburbs, also used the Garfield Park branch's tracks in 1905. To accommodate the mixing of the fast interurban and slow "L" service on a two-track line, two crossovers were installed on either side of the St. Louis station to let CA&E trains pass "L" trains in 1911.

Kedzie was a rapid transit station on the Chicago "L", serving the Garfield Park branch of its Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad, from 1895 to 1958. Between 1905 and 1953, it also served the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad (CA&E), an interurban using Garfield Park tracks, between 1905 and 1953.

References

  1. ↑ Moffat 1995, p. 123
  2. ↑ 1895 Review, p. 263
  3. 1 2 3 4 1895 Review, p. 264
  4. 1 2 3 Moffat 1995, p. 130
  5. ↑ "The Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad". Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad. 1898. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "New "L" Road Opens". Chicago Tribune. Vol. 54, no. 127. May 7, 1895. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Moffat 1995, p. 134
  8. ↑ Moffat 1995, p. 139
  9. ↑ Moffat 1995, p. 237
  10. ↑ Moffat 1995, pp. 240–242
  11. ↑ Moffat 1995, p. 261
  12. ↑ Moffat 1995, p. 260
  13. ↑ Chicago Transit Authority (October 1, 1947). "Today – they're all yours!". Chicago Tribune. Vol. 106, no. 235. p. 8. Retrieved October 29, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Borzo 2007, p. 91
  15. ↑ Borzo 2007, p. 92
  16. 1 2 3 "Entries in Loop at Every Block; Begin Work Dec. 15". Chicago Tribune. Vol. 97, no. 245. October 13, 1938. pp. 1–2 . Retrieved November 17, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  17. 1 2 Garfield, Graham. "Damen Tower". Chicago-L.org. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Work Speeds on Building New Subway". Chicago Tribune. Vol. 108, no. 34. August 21, 1949. pp. 3–1. Retrieved November 20, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Buck, Thomas (February 18, 1951). "1st Trains Run in New Subway Saturday Night". Chicago Tribune. Vol. 110, no. 7, Part 1. p. 21. Retrieved October 24, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ Nedella, Carola (March 5, 1951). "Results of Eliminating the Logan Square "L"". Chicago Tribune. Vol. 110, no. 62. pp. 1–20. Retrieved November 22, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ Serpico, Lillian (May 15, 1951). "Inconvenienced Riders". Chicago Tribune. Vol. 110, no. 116. pp. 1–14. Retrieved November 16, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ CTA 1951, p. 1
  23. 1 2 Garfield, Graham. "Paulina Connector". Chicago-L.org. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  24. 1 2 Garfield, Graham. "Division". Chicago-L.org. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Demolish 70-Year-Old 'L'". Chicago Tribune. Vol. 118, no. 306. November 1, 1964. p. 10–9. Retrieved October 30, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "Cashier of "L" Station Held up in Afternoon". Chicago Tribune. Vol. 62, no. 10. January 10, 1903. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ 1895 Review, p. 268
  28. ↑ Moffat 1995, p. 115
  29. ↑ Moffat 1995, pp. 254–255
  30. 1 2 Moffat 1995, p. 255
  31. ↑ CTA 1979, p. 13
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 Lind 1974, p. 255
  33. 1 2 Lind 1974, p. 254
  34. ↑ Lind 1974, p. 202
  35. ↑ Lind 1974, p. 201
  36. 1 2 CTA 1979, p. 14
  37. ↑ CTA 1979, pp. 22 & 38
  38. ↑ Chicago Transit Authority (April 5, 1948). "New Lake Street All-Express "L" Service". Chicago Tribune. Vol. 107, no. 82. p. 7. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  39. ↑ CTA 1979, pp. 6, 14, 22, 30, & 38

Works cited

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.