The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad (G&CU) was a
railroad running west from
Chicago to
Freeport, Illinois, never reaching
Galena, Illinois. A later route went to
Clinton, Iowa. Incorporated in 1836, the G&CU became the first railroad built out from Chicago.
History
The first railroad constructed out of Chicago, the Galena and Chicago Union, was chartered on January 16, 1836, to connect Chicago with the lead mines at Galena, a year before the city of Chicago was incorporated. "
The Pioneer," the first locomotive on the road, arrived at Chicago on October 10, 1848, nearly thirteen years after the charter was granted. In 1850, the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad was completed as far as
Elgin. The railroad and the
Illinois and Michigan Canal were vital in the development of Chicago, and the population of the city tripled in the six years after the opening of the canal. Eventually other railroads were built and Chicago became the largest railroad center in the world.
Today, the G&CU's main line between Chicago and
West Chicago is a busy commuter service, jointly operated by Union Pacific and
Metra as the
Union Pacific / West Line. The remainder of the line from West Chicago to
Rockford is still in service carrying only freight (though
Amtrak service to Rockford has been proposed and planned) with local industrial spurs in Rockford and
Loves Park. The route between Rockford and Freeport is abandoned, and is being converted into a
rail trail.
Construction
The railroad was constructed starting in March 1848, and was completed to Freeport in 1853. The first westbound train out of Chicago departed on October 25, 1848, pulled by a used
Baldwin-built locomotive named Pioneer.[2][3] When construction reached the Fox River at Elgin in 1850 passengers going farther west could transfer to the stagecoach lines. The railroad extended to Rockford by 1851 and ended construction at Freeport in 1853. The
Illinois Central Railroad, using the G&CU construction crew, completed the Freeport to Galena route in 1854 following the stage route already established by Frink, Walker and Company.
Depots
Stations between Chicago and Freeport included the following:
Chicago, Illinois (1848. Depot at Kinzie and Canal Streets north of the Chicago River was converted to an employees' reading room 1853. Second depot at Kinzie and Wells Streets burned in 1871. The Merchandise Mart now occupies the site)
^"Map Showing the Location of the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad with its Branches & Connections in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. Engraved & Printed by G. Woolworth Colton, No. 18 Beekman St., N.Y." 1862. Described in Robert A. Holland (2005) Chicago in Maps 1612 to 2002.. New York: Rizzoli International Publications. pp. 74–75.
ISBN0-8478-2743-7 Original map is located in the Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
A Chronological History of Chicago: 1673- Compiled by Chicago Municipal Reference Library, City of Chicago, updated by Municipal Reference Collection, Chicago Public Library
The Northern Counties Gazetteer and Directory for 1855–6: A Complete and Perfect Guide to Northern Illinois Containing a Concise Description of the Cities, Towns & Principal Villages... (1855). 189 Lake Street, Chicago. Reprinted on demand by Pranava Books, India. August 2019.