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Creator:

Chicago City Railway Company.  Search this

West Chicago Street Railroad Company.  Search this

Pennsylvania & West Virginia Railway.  Search this

Chicago Transit Authority.  Search this

Chicago Surface Lines.  Search this

Names:

Chicago Board of Traction Supervising Engineers.  Search this

Chicago Consolidated Traction Company.  Search this

Chicago Railways Company.  Search this

Chicago Union Traction Company.  Search this

D.T. Steelwork Company.  Search this

Garden City Construction Company.  Search this

Gilbert Car Manufacturing Company.  Search this

Lake Street Elevated Railroad (Chicago, Ill.).  Search this

North Chicago Street Railroad Company.  Search this

United States Construction Company.  Search this

Former owner:

National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Transportation  Search this

Extent:

4.6 Cubic feet (13 oversized folders)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Tracings

Drawings

Blueprints

Place:

Chicago (Ill.)

Date:

1880-1948

Scope and Contents:

The collection consists of blueprints, working drawings, line drawings, tracings, and plans of the Chicago Surface Railway system from 1896-1926; 1948. The majority of the drawings are on linen and are 24" x 36" or larger. Some of the drawings are annotated. The drawing number, title of drawing and the date are provided for each sheet.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into seven series:

Series 1: West Chicago Street Railroad Company

Series 2: Chicago Board of Traction Supervising Engineers/Chicago Railway Company

Series 3: Chicago Traction System (Car Drawings)

Series 4: Chicago Cable Blueprints

Series 5: Chicago Union Traction Company

Series 6: Pennsylvania & West Virginia Railway

Series 7: Miscellaneous

Biographical / Historical:

The first street cars in Chicago were horse cars run by the Chicago City railway Company and the North Chicago City railway Company around 1858-1861. This method, however, was slow and expensive, and the companies began substituting cable cars in the 1880s. Chicago City was the first railway company in 1881, with the addition of the Chicago Passenger Railway in 1883, and the West Chicago Street Railroad Company in 1887. Chicago had the largest cable railway system in the world.

In the 1880s, electric powered trolleys first became practical. The Chicago companies hesitated at first to install these faster and more efficient systems because of their heavy investment in cable cars. Smaller Illinois cities and the Calumet Electric Street Railway of the South Side of the city built successful systems, causing the Chicago companies to feel themselves dropping behind. By the mid 1890s most companies began the conversion to electricity.

The 1890s saw the consolidation of many of the Chicago companies and through this reorganization continued into the next century. In 1905 the city voted that the surface railways should come under municipal ownership but not operation, provided the companies rehabilitate their systems, and give the city the right to buy the property at a fixed value. In addition, new construction was to be approved by a new bureau, the Board of Traction Supervising Engineers.

The continuous reorganization was finally completed by the Unification Ordinance of 1913 which stipulated that all lines would come under the management of a single operating company called the Chicago Surface Lines (CSL). Four companies made up the CSL-the Chicago Railways Company, Chicago City Railway, Calumet and South Chicago Railway, and Southern Street Railway. At this time Chicago had the largest street railway system, the longest one-fare ride, the longest average ride, and the most liberal transfer privileges in the world.

The 1920s saw continued growth despite the increasing competition from the automobile, but the Depression dealt a heavy blow to traffic. By 1948 the Chicago Transit Authority, which took over the Chicago Surface Lines in 1927, had abandoned all but four lines in favor of buses. By 1958 the remaining lines were "bustituted."

Related Materials:

Materials at Other Organizations

The Chicago Historical Society

Holds approximately 13 cubic feet of materials documenting the Chicago Surface Lines, 1857-1951. The materials include minute books, corporate records, account books, agreements, correspondence, contracts, ordinances, patents, memoranda, stock certificates, bank statements, and blueprints.

Provenance:

Gift of the Chicago Transit Authority.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Railroads -- Equipment and facilities  Search this

Railroads -- Rolling-stock  Search this

Railroad engineers  Search this

Civil engineers  Search this

Civil engineering  Search this

Railroads  Search this

Railroads -- Buildings and structures  Search this

Engineering and technology  Search this

Cable railroads  Search this

Genre/Form:

Tracings

Drawings

Blueprints

Citation:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings, 1880-1948, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0212

See more items in:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8f18ea1eb-50e1-48e6-a09e-991265c857e8

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0212

Collection Creator:

Chicago City Railway Company.  Search this

West Chicago Street Railroad Company.  Search this

Pennsylvania & West Virginia Railway.  Search this

Chicago Transit Authority.  Search this

Chicago Surface Lines.  Search this

Container:

Map-folder 12

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings, 1880-1948, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings / Series 5: Chicago Union Traction Company

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8135c8fc6-f916-4e80-915d-91da430c9e02

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0212-ref200

Collection Creator:

Chicago City Railway Company.  Search this

West Chicago Street Railroad Company.  Search this

Pennsylvania & West Virginia Railway.  Search this

Chicago Transit Authority.  Search this

Chicago Surface Lines.  Search this

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1900-1908

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings, 1880-1948, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0212, Series 5

See more items in:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8701a0ca0-fa11-4a76-8807-7bbe5724997a

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0212-ref199

Collection Creator:

Chicago City Railway Company.  Search this

West Chicago Street Railroad Company.  Search this

Pennsylvania & West Virginia Railway.  Search this

Chicago Transit Authority.  Search this

Chicago Surface Lines.  Search this

Container:

Map-folder 12

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings, 1880-1948, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings / Series 5: Chicago Union Traction Company

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep870b6afd3-7ed3-44f2-bc79-e71b82f8b6df

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0212-ref203

Collection Creator:

Chicago City Railway Company.  Search this

West Chicago Street Railroad Company.  Search this

Pennsylvania & West Virginia Railway.  Search this

Chicago Transit Authority.  Search this

Chicago Surface Lines.  Search this

Container:

Map-folder 12

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings, 1880-1948, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings / Series 5: Chicago Union Traction Company

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8e5afe60a-bdd8-4423-b727-6c90dad24c0b

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0212-ref204

Collection Creator:

Chicago City Railway Company.  Search this

West Chicago Street Railroad Company.  Search this

Pennsylvania & West Virginia Railway.  Search this

Chicago Transit Authority.  Search this

Chicago Surface Lines.  Search this

Container:

Map-folder 12

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings, 1880-1948, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings / Series 5: Chicago Union Traction Company

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8f2e5185d-8aab-47ad-bbab-523ce6220d2c

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0212-ref207

Collection Creator:

Chicago City Railway Company.  Search this

West Chicago Street Railroad Company.  Search this

Pennsylvania & West Virginia Railway.  Search this

Chicago Transit Authority.  Search this

Chicago Surface Lines.  Search this

Container:

Map-folder 12

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings, 1880-1948, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings / Series 5: Chicago Union Traction Company

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep832f3e862-deff-4fab-a431-32b9fc195f33

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0212-ref201

Collection Creator:

Chicago City Railway Company.  Search this

West Chicago Street Railroad Company.  Search this

Pennsylvania & West Virginia Railway.  Search this

Chicago Transit Authority.  Search this

Chicago Surface Lines.  Search this

Container:

Map-folder 12

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings, 1880-1948, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings / Series 5: Chicago Union Traction Company

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep80056a88f-1cc2-487b-9541-da854a015a08

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0212-ref206

Collection Creator:

Chicago City Railway Company.  Search this

West Chicago Street Railroad Company.  Search this

Pennsylvania & West Virginia Railway.  Search this

Chicago Transit Authority.  Search this

Chicago Surface Lines.  Search this

Container:

Map-folder 12

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings, 1880-1948, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings / Series 5: Chicago Union Traction Company

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a8e76275-08d3-4452-8acc-a91309d1f6ba

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0212-ref202

Collection Creator:

Chicago City Railway Company.  Search this

West Chicago Street Railroad Company.  Search this

Pennsylvania & West Virginia Railway.  Search this

Chicago Transit Authority.  Search this

Chicago Surface Lines.  Search this

Container:

Map-folder 12

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings, 1880-1948, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings / Series 5: Chicago Union Traction Company

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8cb1ed8ec-d5bb-4757-8681-c85516e088bf

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0212-ref205