The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad (G&CU) was a

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

running west from

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Freeport, Illinois Freeport is the county seat and largest city of Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,973 at the 2020 census, and the mayor of Freeport is Jodi Miller, elected in 2017. Freeport is known for hosting the second Linc ...

, never reaching

Galena, Illinois Galena is the largest city in and the county seat of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, with a population of 3,308 at the 2020 census. A section of the city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Galena Historic District. The c ...

. A later route went to

Clinton, Iowa Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,469 as of 2020. Clinton, along with DeWitt (also located in Clinton County), was named in honor of the sixth governor of New York, DeWitt Cl ...

. 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 The Illinois and Michigan Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. In Illinois, it ran from the Chicago River in Bridgeport, Chicago to the Illinois River at LaSalle-Peru. The canal crossed the Chicago Por ...

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. In 1862 the G&CU leased in perpetuity the

Cedar Rapids and Missouri Railroad The Cedar Rapids and Missouri River Railroad was a railroad chartered to run from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Council Bluffs, Iowa on the Missouri River. It was the first railroad to reach Council Bluffs, Iowa, the eastern terminus of the First tran ...

which was to be the first railroad to reach

Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha–Council Bluffs ...

and the

First transcontinental railroad North America's first transcontinental railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the " Overland Route") was a continuous railroad line constructed between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern U.S. rail netwo ...

. The 1862 map by G. Woolworth Colton shown here lays out the various lines in operation at that time. The G&CU consolidated with the

Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

in 1864, which merged with the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

over a century later in 1996. Today, the G&CU's main line between Chicago and

West Chicago West Chicago is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 27,086 at the 2010 census. It was formerly named Junction and later Turner, after its founder, John B. Turner, president of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroa ...

is a busy commuter service, jointly operated by Union Pacific and

Metra Metra is the commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and other railroads. The system operates 242 stations on 11 rail lines. I ...

as the Union Pacific / West Line.

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''.Chicago Historical Society,
History Lab Collections - Riding the Rails
''. Retrieved October 25, 2005. 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 The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad in the Central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. A line also c ...

, 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 (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

(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) * Garfield Park (1848. formerly Central Park) *

Oak Park, Illinois Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 29th-most populous municipality in Illinois with a population of 54,583 as of the 2020 U.S. Census estimate. Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporated in ...

(1848. formerly Oak Ridge, Cicero) *

Melrose Park, Illinois Melrose Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 24,796. Melrose Park had long been home to a large Italian-American population. The suburb was the home o ...

(1849) formerly Melrose *

Berkeley, Illinois Berkeley (pronounced ''BURK-lee'') is a village located in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Incorporated in 1924, the population at the 2020 census was 5,338. The town has a commuter railroad station on Metra's Union Pacific/West Line wi ...

(1849. Formerly Proviso) *

Elmhurst, Illinois Elmhurst is a city mostly in DuPage County and overlapping into Cook County in the U.S. state of Illinois, and a western suburb of Chicago. As of 2021, the city has an estimated population of 47,260. History Members of the Potawatomi Native A ...

(1849. Formerly Cottage Hill) *

Lombard, Illinois Lombard is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of Chicago. The population was 43,165 at the 2010 census. The United States Census Bureau estimated the population in 2019 to be 44,303. History Originally part of ...

(1849. Babcock's Grove) * Glen Ellyn, Illinois (1849. Formerly Danby) *

Wheaton, Illinois Wheaton is a suburban city in Milton and Winfield Townships and is the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois. It is located approximately west of Chicago. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 52,894, which was estimated ...

(1849) *

Winfield, Illinois Winfield is an incorporated village located in Milton Township, DuPage County, Illinois, Milton and Winfield Township, DuPage County, Illinois, Winfield Townships, DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population wa ...

(1849–1854. Hedges Station) *

West Chicago, Illinois West Chicago is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 27,086 at the 2010 census. It was formerly named Junction and later Turner, after its founder, John B. Turner, president of the Galena and Chicago Union Railro ...

(1849. Turner Junction. Hotel and roundhouse 1853) *

Wayne, Illinois Wayne is a village in DuPage and Kane counties, Illinois, United States. The eastern portion, in DuPage County, is in Wayne Township, while the western portion, in Kane County, is in St. Charles Township. The population was 2,431 at the 2010 c ...

(1850) *

South Elgin, Illinois South Elgin is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 23,865. In 2007, ''Money'' magazine named South Elgin as 82nd of 100 entries in its "America's Best Places to Live" edition and again in 20 ...

(1850. formerly Clintonville) *

Elgin, Illinois Elgin ( ) is a city in Cook and Kane counties in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. Elgin is located northwest of Chicago, along the Fox River. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 114,797, the seventh-large ...

(1850) *

Gilberts, Illinois Gilberts is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,366 at the 2020 census. History The beginnings of recorded human settlement in the area of Gilberts was recorded in the War of 1812, when General Scott began wa ...

(1855. Gilbert's Station) *

Huntley, Illinois Huntley is a village in McHenry and Kane counties, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 27,740. It is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area. Geography Huntley is in the southern part of McHenry County and ...

(1851) *

Union, Illinois Union is a village in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 580 at the 2010 census, up from 576 in 2000. History A post office called Union has been in operation since 1852. The village was named for the federal union of th ...

(1851) *

Marengo, Illinois Marengo is a city in McHenry County, Illinois, United States on the Kishwaukee River. It lies approximately 60 miles west northwest of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 7,568. Geography Marengo is located at . The north edge o ...

(1851) * Garden Prairie, Illinois (1853) *

Belvidere, Illinois Belvidere is a city in Boone County, settled on the Kishwaukee River in far northern Illinois, United States. Known as the 'City of Murals', Belvidere is home to several public art installations throughout the North and South State Street histo ...

(1851) * Cherry Valley, Illinois (1853) *

Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...

(1851) *

Winnebago, Illinois Winnebago is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois. It is part of the Rockford-Winnebago Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,101 at the 2010 census, up from 2,958 in 2000. History James Weber Linn (1876–1939), educator ...

(1853) *

Pecatonica, Illinois Pecatonica is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,195 at the 2010 census, up from 1,997 in 2000. History The village was named afte ...

(1853) *Nevada, Ridott Township, Stephenson County, Illinois (1853. Depot was moved to Ridott 10 July 1860. Nevada no longer exists) * Ridott, Illinois (1860) *

(1853) From West Chicago to Clinton: *

La Fox, Illinois La Fox is an unincorporated community in Blackberry Township, Kane County, Illinois, United States. The community is located four miles west of Geneva and five miles east of Elburn. It serves as a station on Metra's Union Pacific/West Line. H ...

(1859) *

Elburn, Illinois Elburn is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,602 as of the 2010 census, up from 2,756 at the 2000 census. It is located at the intersection of Illinois Route 38 and Route 47. Elburn is a town situated west ...

(1854, formerly Blackberry) *

Maple Park, Illinois Maple Park is a village in DeKalb and Kane counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 1,310 at the 2010 census, up from 765 in 2000. Maple Park was formerly known as Lodi. History Maple Park was originally called "Lodi", after L ...

(1854, formerly Lodi) *

Cortland, Illinois Cortland is an incorporated town in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,398 at the 2020 Census. It was previously 4,270 at the 2010 census, up from 2,066 in 2000. Because of its status as an incorporated town, Cortland has ...

(1854) * DeKalb, Illinois (1854) *

Malta, Illinois Malta is a village in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,143 at the 2020 census. History Malta was founded in 1855, under the name of Milton. Shortly afterwards, the name was changed to Etna, then Malta after the Galena R ...

(1855, formerly Milton) *

Creston, Illinois Creston is a village in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 627 at the 2020 census, down from 662 in 2010. History Creston was named for its supposed location on the highest point of land between Chicago and the Mississippi Ri ...

(1855, Formerly Dement) *

Rochelle, Illinois Rochelle is a city in Ogle County, Illinois. The population was 9,446 at the 2020 census. Rochelle is approximately west of Chicago and south of Rockford. History Originally named Hickory Grove, the town sits at the intersection of two rail ...

(1855, formerly Hang Town) *

Flagg, Illinois Flagg is an unincorporated community in the southeastern portion of Ogle County in Flagg Township, Illinois, United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a ...

(1856) *

Ashton, Illinois Ashton is a village in Lee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 972 at the 2010 census, down from 1,142 in 2000. History Ashton was originally called Ogle Station, but it was afterwards changed in order to avoid confusion with Ogl ...

(1855, formerly Ogle) *

Franklin Grove, Illinois Franklin Grove is a village in Lee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,021 at the 2010 census, down from 1,052 in 2000. History Franklin Grove was named for James R. Franklin, a pioneer who settled in a grove near the town site ...

(1855) * Nachusa, Illinois (1855) * Dixon, Illinois (1855) * Nelson, Illinois (1858) *

Sterling, Illinois Sterling is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,782 at the 2020 census, down from 15,370 in 2010. Formerly nicknamed "Hardware Capital of the World", the city has long been associated with manufacturing an ...

(1855) * Galt, Illinois (1857) *Agnew, Illinois (1860) * Como, Illinois (1855. Depot was moved to Agnew in 1860) *

Round Grove, Illinois Round Grove is an unincorporated community in Whiteside County, in the U.S. state of Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro ...

(1855) *

Lyndon, Illinois Lyndon is a village in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. The population was 648 at the 2010 census, up from 566 in 2000. Geography Lyndon is located at (41.716821, -89.923186). According to the 2010 census, Lyndon has a total area of ...

(1857) *

Morrison, Illinois Morrison is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,188 at the 2010 census, down from 4,447 in 2000. It is the county seat of Whiteside County. It is located on the Historic Lincoln Highway, the nation's first t ...

(1855) *

Union Grove, Illinois Union Grove is an unincorporated community in Whiteside County, in the U.S. state of Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro ...

(1859) *

Fulton, Illinois Fulton is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,481 at the 2010 census, down from 3,881 in 2000. Fulton is located across the Mississippi River from Clinton, Iowa. History A post office called Fulton has been i ...

(1855. Line was moved to East Clinton after C&NW takeover) *

(1855) Crystal Lake Branch *

East Dundee, Illinois East Dundee is a village in Kane County with a small section in Cook County. The population was 3,152 at the 2020 census. Geography East Dundee is located at . According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, East Dundee has a total area of , of ...

(1854) *

Algonquin, Illinois Algonquin is a village in McHenry and Kane counties, Illinois, in the United States. It is a suburb of Chicago, located approximately northwest of the Loop. As of the 2020 census, the village's population was 29,700. The village is known as " ...

(1855) *

Crystal Lake, Illinois Crystal Lake is a city in McHenry County in the U.S. state of Illinois. Named after a lake southwest of the city's downtown, Crystal Lake is 45 miles northwest of Chicago. The population is 40,269 as of the 2020 Census, a 1.2% decrease from 201 ...

(1855) Aurora Branch *

Batavia, Illinois Batavia () is a city mainly in Kane County and partly in DuPage County in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located in the Chicago metropolitan area, it was founded in 1833 and is the oldest city in Kane County. Per the 2020 census, the population w ...

(1872) *

Aurora, Illinois Aurora is a city in the Chicago metropolitan area located partially in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage, Kane County, Illinois, Kane, Kendall County, Illinois, Kendall, and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Locat ...

(1888) St. Charles Branch * Geneva, Illinois (1854) * St. Charles, Illinois (1871)

References

Sources

* examines the economic effects of the railroad (among other things). * 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. {{DEFAULTSORT:Galena Chicago Union Railroad Predecessors of the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company Defunct Illinois railroads Defunct Iowa railroads Railroads in the Chicago metropolitan area Railway companies established in 1836 Railway companies disestablished in 1864 American companies established in 1836 1836 establishments in Illinois American companies disestablished in 1864