Chicago to East Fort Madison (State Line) 230 miles long.
For that portion in Chicago: Incorporated in Illinois as the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company in Chicago, May 11, 1887. Sold March 6th, 1902 to the A. T. & S. F. Ry. Co..
For that portion outside of Chicago: incorporated in Illinois as the Chicago, Santa Fe & California Railway Company. December 3rd, 1886. Sold June 1st, 1900 to the A. T. & S. F. Ry. Co.
Lines in Chicago, Dearborn Station to Crawford Avenue - 6.43 miles, less C. & W.I. RR. Co., Dearborn Station to Stewart Avenue, 1.43 miles. Total 5.00 miles, completed into Chicago in 1886 and '87 by President F. E. Hinkley, under the old Chicago, Pekin & Southwestern R.R. Company, Charter i.e. that portion from Ancona to Chicago. (See description Pekin Branch)
R.L. Engle made preliminary survey as early as 1884 for the entire line Sheffield to Ancona, followed by B. F. Booker, Horace R. Ropes and others in 1886-87. They ran several lines from Keokuk and other points.
P. F. Barr was appointed Chief Engineer of Location and contstruction January 1st, 1887, under A. A. Robinson, form Des Moines River to Chicago. Succeeded later by Major Geo W. Vaughn.
Grading was started January 1st 1887. Finished in 1887. The first train out of Chicago run by the Santa Fe was April 29th, 1888, at which time, the Chicago line passed to the operating department.
D J. Chase was General Superintendent and Mr. A. H. Crocker, Division Superintendent. Mr. Chase was succeeded by H. R. Nicherson and Mr. Crocker by H. C. Ives.
The Santa Fe used the 26th Street Line (Grand Trunk) when they first went into Chicago to reach Dearborn Station. They changed to their own line as above described on July 20th, 1887, when they bought the line.
The Santa Fe as before stated, bought the 26th Street Line from the Grand Trunk Railway Company, July 20th, 1887, Leased to the Illinois Northern Railway Company, August 1st, 1902, for fifty years.
The Santa Fe use the lift span, East of Ashland Avenue, over Chicago River, under a contract (Sec's. No. 14101) The Chicago, Madison & Northern (Illinois Central) have joint Right-of-way in Chicago with the Santa Fe from about 21st Street to a point between Kedsie and California Avenues, about Mile Post 5, where they diverge. (see map of Chicago)
The old stone piers now abandoned, in Chicago, just west of the lift span over the Chicago River, each side of Ashland Avenue, were built by a steel company on their own ground and at thier expense. The spur track turned out of the C. & A..
The line between Chicago and Joliet is built between two canals. The Illinois and Michigan on the South side, built in 1837 by an English Syndicate, sold to the U. S. Government who donated it to the State of Illinois, who deepened it between 18709 and 1880; and the Drainage Canal on the north side, built in 1893-'99.
Sheet #2 - Illinois Division.
The track elevation in Chicago, 16th and Clark Streets, started April 24, 1891, finished October 1, 1899; 18th Street and Ashland Avenue, started April 26, 1901, finished October 15, 1904, Major George W. Vaughn, Engineer in charge.
There was a change of line west of Corwith; also at Lemont and Lockport and the east end of Joliet Yard, by reason of building the Sanitary Canal. (See maps in Chief Engineer's Office.)
Track elevation was started in Joliet: Santa Fe, February 7, 1906. Rock Island, 1910 and C. & A. 1910. All completed in 1912.
The Union Depot was started in 1911, and completed in 1912. Opened November 1, 1912.
The old stone abutments (now abandoned) on the south side of the track in the west end of Joliet Yard, over Hickory Creek, were built in 1890, when a spur track was put in to get to the Western Stome Company's quarry. This bridge was a Howe Truss and was washed off in the big flood of 1902, whenall of Joliet was flooded.
The Santa Fe (Pekin Line) used to run under the C. & A. Bridge at Hickory Creek, west end of Joliet Yard. The C. & W. Had a Howe Truss Bridge. The Santa Fe bridge was a through girder, the old abutment can still be seen; also the old roadbed on the north side of the C. & A. They changed the alignment and the Joliet Yard in 1890, and not run under the C. & A. Bridge further west, on a seven degree thirty minute curve. B. Lantry & Sons did the work in the long rock cut leading out to the Patterson Road. At Ancona the Santa Fe changed the 7 degree 30' curve and put in a 3 degree curve in the main line. This required 1.10 acres of ground, for which we paid $1800.00. It destroyed two wells, required the moving of all the outbuildings, residences, etc.. This was done in 1905, when the double track was built. We use the C. & A. For double track (east bound) from Pequot Station to Plains, a distance of 16.2 miles. (see contract 22761). The piece of new track coming down the hill at Plaines Station to get onto the Santa Fe belongs to the Santa Fe, built in 1905.
At Toluca, there is an old railroad grade built West of the station, that was made by M. J. Devlin, to cross overhead to connect with his Coal Road. The Toluca, Marquette and Northern. It died with the death of Mr. Devlin.
At Dahinda, the Santa Fe made a big change of line in 1908-'09 when the double track was built. They put in a new steel bridge over Spoon River on the new line, moved the depot to its present location, etc. (see map) When this bridge was built in 1887-'88, Mr. O. Chanute was the Consulting Engineer.
The original Illinois River bridge was under Mr. O. Chanute, Consulting Engineer, under Mr. A. A. Robinson in 1887-'88. Rebuilt in 1906, (draw span) There were long approaches to this bridge, when first built. Filled up by contract with dump cars.
At Chillicothe, the Santa Fe owns a large gravel pit, 175 acres, on the North side of the track, which furnished a very fine gravel for ballasting and commercial purposes.
There is an old abandoned railroad grade in the East end of Dahinda Yard, along the right bank of the Spoon River, that is graded North for several miles to some coal mines. The bridges were partly built To track was ever laid.
W. S. Love, Manager, started a boom cith, West edge of Lomax, -1914. About one- hundred houses and some factories, etc. Were built. For the present the boom seems to have died out. There are many vacant houses.
Just west of Pontoosuc there are the remains of an old abandoned roadbed on the North side of the track, built towards Fort Madison for some distance, know as the Warsaw and Rockford Railroad, built in 1856. Abandoned for lack of means to complete. Some bridges were built, ties purchased and piled up at Dallas, Pontoosuc and East Fort Madison. They were for Rockford, Illinois.
Pontoosuc Quarry, located on the south side of the track, about two miles of Pontoosuc and 6.3 miles east of Ft. Madison. The stone is known as Dolomite, which is well known for its hardness and fire proof qualities. It is distinguished from lime stone by its specific gravity; its hardness and its behavior with acids. Owned by Druggist, Shaffer & Son, Ft. Madison.
The second track on the Illinois Division was completed during the following years:
Page 37 Meads Manual transcribed in altered form for the web by Russell Crump
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