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<DIV>The C&A built northward from Alton and reached Joliet in 1858.  It used the Rock Island tracks to its depot until it leased the Joliet and Chicago Railroad.  That road was started in 1857 and reached the Ft. Wayne's tracks at 21st Street in 1858.  This data is from Gene Glendinning's <EM>'The Chicago & Alton Railroad'</EM>, an excellent, well annotated book in my opinion.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>But the Ft Wayne had not built a depot yet so the first train's destination is unknown.  The current name at that time for the C&A was St.Louis, Alton and Chicago.  It got renamed often.  Quotes from the book:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><EM>The J&C had reached agreement with the Pittsburg(h) Fort Wayne & Chicago the previous year for a half interest in PFt.W&C's bridge over the Chicago River near Archer Road and its track from the bridge along Stewart Street to the line's terminus at Van Buren Street, similar to the arrangements the MC reached with the IC and the MS with the Rock Island. </EM></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Another quote:</DIV> <DIV><EM>Though the first ceremonial run may have used the west side track, it more likely switched over to the Rock Island and ended its run under the train shed of that road's depot at Van Buren and LaSalle Streets.</EM></DIV> <DIV><EM>   </EM></DIV> <DIV>And another:</DIV> <DIV><EM>After a few months, likely because relations between the St.LA&C  and Rock Island had deteriorated, the St.LA&C's passenger trains began using the IC's lake front depot near the Chicago River, reaching the track of that railroad over the St. Charles Air Line</EM>.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>And how do you get up to the Air Line?  Using that infernal track that sort of parallels the CWI track that leads toward the Air Line but we didn't know why!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>When the old Union finally got built, things got simpler.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Art</DIV>
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