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From Coaches to ‘L’ Rail Cars: History of CTA mirrors growth, steady pulse of city By Jon Hilkevitch - 06/04/2007 Chicago Tribune More Info on This Book: The Chicago "L"
"The Chicago 'L'," by Greg Borzo, is a photographic history, so it won't be too difficult of an assignment for politicians accustomed to voting on legislation without reading it. The book traces the living story of Chicago's elevated train system -- chronicling rail line expansions and demolitions over the last 115 years -- and it celebrates the "L's" ongoing contribution to shaping the city and the suburbs. It is a story that runs much deeper than just transportation. "I've had a longtime fascination with the 'L,' riding it almost every day for 20 years and always looking out the window," said Borzo, a science writer at the Field Museum who said he strove to steer clear from presenting too much technical detail in order to appeal to a mass audience. "The 'L' is not only a way to get to work. It is fun and democratic. Crowded trains help us rub shoulders together, rich and poor, making us more aware of our fellow citizens than we would be sitting alone in a car," said the Borzo, 53, a lifelong Chicagoan. The book takes readers from the mid-1850s, beginning with Chicago's first form of mass transit, the omnibus -- a kind of stagecoach that bounced through the rutted streets -- through the development of horse cars, the steam locomotive, cable cars, trolleys, streetcars powered by overhead electrical wires and elevated trains, which initially carried freight instead of people. "The Chicago 'L,'" published by Arcadia Publishing (www. arcadiapublishing.com), uses photos from the collection of the Chicago Transit Authority and other sources. Borzo said some of his favorites in the 168-page book include pictures from the Columbian Intramural Railway, which carried about 6 million fairgoers at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 on a 3-mile route. "The exposition gave us more than the Ferris wheel and Cracker Jacks. The 'L' technology that is used today on the CTA -- the uncovered third rail at the side of the track -- was pioneered at the World's Fair," said Borzo, who conducts "L" tours for the Chicago History Museum. Chicago's first "L" line, the Chicago & South Side Rapid Transit, was incorporated in 1888 and opened in 1892. It was followed by the Lake Street Elevated Railway , where riders were introduced to center-facing seats. It's a seating configuration that the CTA is considering bringing back today with the planned purchase of new rail cars. But back in 1900, Borzo noted in his book next to a photo of a railcar interior, some people considered it "risque for unacquainted men and women to sit side by side in such an intimate, unchaperoned setting." The Chicago & Oak Park Elevated Railroad, which took over the Lake Street "L" in 1904, installed reversible seats allowing all passengers to ride facing forward. Following construction of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad, the Loop "L" and the last of the original elevated lines, the Northwestern Elevated Railroad that operated along the North Side, work began to build branches of the main line tracks. The Stock Yards branch of the South Side "L" opened in 1908. A photo in the book shows an elevated train traveling directly over stockades taking passengers to stations with names that included Armour and Swift. The caption comments: "The most colorful (and odoriferous) branch went through the stockyards carrying workers to packinghouses -- as well as tourists to see the slaughtering and dine at fine restaurants in the vicinity." The book is chock-full with people shots. One photo shows a group of women boarding a "fresh air car" at Jackson Park in 1915. The rail cars were equipped with windows locked in the open position when the city was struggling with an influenza outbreak. Shirley Temple is seen in another photo taking the controls of an elevated train in 1938 under the watchful eye of an engineer. And cameras recorded Mayor Richard J. Daley in 1962, at a ceremony for the elevation of part of the Lake Street "L," destroying a crossing gate that was no longer needed, a move that improved safety and lessened traffic congestion. In some ways, the much-maligned CTA has an easy go of it today compared with its earliest predecessors. Complaints about noise and other side effects of the emerging rail technology began as soon as "L" trains began operating. The New York Academy of Medicine warned in 1897 that elevated trains "prevented the normal development of children, threw convalescing patients into relapses, and caused insomnia, exhaustion, hysteria, paralysis, meningitis, deafness, and death." Elevated trains of the past carried not only commuters, but also corpses. Borzo noted that the Metropolitan West Side "L" funeral trains, which operated between 1906 and 1934, gave new meaning to "end of the line." A photo in the book shows a rail car with stained-glass windows, seats for 30 mourners and an oversize door to accommodate caskets. Who knows, the funeral trains might once again be needed, in light of last week's decision by the Illinois General Assembly to postpone a funding rescue of the CTA, Metra and Pace. CTA officials say the transit agency will be forced to severely reduce service and raise fares in September, and Pace officials say paratransit services to disabled riders will be cut if the legislature does not provide additional operating subsidies. "To me it is inconceivable that we would be letting any part of the system go when we should be expanding service," Borzo said. "I would hope that history could be our guide and we start to value our transit resource more. The 'L' has carried more than 10 billion passengers over the last century and looking to the future, it is vital." Borzo will mark the release of "The Chicago 'L'" with a book signing from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St. Buy It Now: The Chicago "L" $26.99 Author tracks the history of the “L” By Dan Pearson - 07/18/2007 Pioneer Press
Borzo, a former editor of Modern Railroads magazine and currently a science writer at Chicago's Field Museum, will talk about the often remarkable history of the world famous Chicago rapid transit system and his experience in writing this newly published book, The Chicago "L". "My first home was a block away from the Montrose Station on the Brown Line, which was kind of the start of my interest in the 'L,'" said Borzo. "We had no car when I grew up so the 'L,' has always been an important thing in my life. As an adult, I have been riding the 'L' almost every day for 25 years." Borzo said his interest in the subject as a book began five years ago when he started giving tours on the construction of the "L" at the Chicago History Museum. "As I did more research I realized there was no popular, easy-to-read book about the 'L' so I decided to write one. It took me three more years to really know enough to actually put it together as a book," he said. This softbound 166 page volume from Arcadia Press offers a treasure trove of captivating historical details told in 12 chapters and over 250 black and white photographs that span the history of the "L" from 1892-2007. Heady history From the beginnings of the system, which had its links to the Columbian Exposition of 1893 to the 105 miles and eight "L" lines that currently operate today, Borzo presents a history that salutes the ingenuity of the construction and the audacity of the moguls that made it happen. "The trains were elevated for two reasons; safety and to avoid street congestion which was choking the city in the 1890's," said Borzo. "It was just horrendous. You had fighting for the right of way, cable and horse cars, electric rail cars, wagons and pedestrians. Some of the streets were full of mud and horse manure." The eighth chapter of The Chicago "L" deals withs expansion into suburbs such as Cicero, Evanston, Forest Park, Oak Park, Rosemont, Skokie and Wilmette. "In 1902, Oak Park fought the idea of storing cars in the middle of Randolph Street. And it is easy to understand how you wouldn't want to train cars parked in the middle of a major street," he said. "In fact, most of the suburbs tried to keep the 'L' out and were not open and receptive." In 1926, the Chicago Rapid Transit expanded service on the Garfield Park Line through Forest Park to Bellwood Avenue and then south to Roosevelt Road in Westchester. Four years later that line expanded again to go south to 22nd Street and west to Mannheim and ran until 1951. "The traffic wasn't there to maintain that line. It was a surface line and there was less of an investment but I was very sorry to learn that any part of the system was abandoned," said Borzo who notes that some eight miles of elevated tracks have been torn down over the years including a section of the Green Line that had been running since the Columbian Exposition. Borzo said the "L" brings in half a million people into the city every day. "I think it is scary the CTA is tossing around the idea of closing two lines because of the funding impasse. We don't talk about closing the Kennedy because we don't have enough money to pay for education and health care," he said. But he is encouraged that there is still talk of expansion on the table that includes extending the Red Line south and extending the Yellow Line to Old Orchard. "I feel passionately that the 'L' is interesting, important and also a good solution going forward in combating pollution, global warming and also it brings us together. It is egalitarian and it's affordable," he said. One el of an icon: Unique transit system is city’s “Eiffel Tower” By John Rice - 07/17/2007 Forest Park Review
"The el says Chicago like nothing else," Borzo said, "It's our Eiffel Tower." Borzo's fascination with our signature transit system fueled the writing of his new book, and on July 22 at 2 p.m. Borzo will be in town for a book signing on Madison Street. Earlier this month Forest Park celebrated the 50th anniversary of the poorly coordinated closing of an el stop that left some 6,000 passengers stranded in the village. Few communities have been impacted by public transit like Forest Park, Borzo said. "The extension of the el lines to Forest Park coincided with the incorporation of the town in 1905," Borzo said. "The village resisted it initially. But now, big city access is part of the very character of Forest Park." Borzo is the media manager for Science at the Field Museum and was born in Chicago, only one block from an el line. Shortly thereafter, his family moved to Des Moines, Iowa. Borzo couldn't wait to get back to Chicago. After graduating from Grinnell College with a degree in anthropology, he returned to Chicago to obtain his journalism degree from Northwestern University. During the next 30 years, Borzo rode the el daily. "I don't like cars. I like the social interaction inside an el car," Borzo said. "You see the whole gamut of society from doctors and lawyers to the homeless. It's very democratic." Being a regular rider had its social benefits. "Once I discovered the person next to me was reading the same book and that led me to joining her book club." What really hooked Borzo, though, was taking an historic tour of the el sponsored by the Chicago History Museum. In fact, Borzo became a tour guide himself. That's when he discovered that a book had never been written on the history of the el. For three years, Borzo conducted research and gathered vintage photos from the Chicago Transit Authority's own archives. "I went through 10,000 photos and selected several hundred," Borzo said. "I used 250 for the book but I could have added another 300." He invested a good deal of money in the book, commissioning a one-of-a-kind map showing all of the el's existing and abandoned lines. This includes the el line that once ran from Forest Park to Maywood and Westchester. "The Chicago Aurora Elgin shut down on July 3, 1957, at 12:15 p.m., stranding 6,000 riders in Forest Park," Borzo said. "If we only had that line today, we could get more cars off the road." Over the years, the el has had a remarkable safety record. It has carried more than 10 billion passengers and suffered only one horrific accident, when a Green Line train plunged to the ground at Lake and Wabash in 1977, killing 11. Borzo said these should be the glory days for the el, what with high gas prices, traffic congestion and concerns about the environment. "The el is used as a political football, instead of being properly funded," Borzo said. "No other city has an elevated system like ours. It crisscrosses the city, it creates 'The Loop.' It's a cultural icon, a historic treasure. We need more tracks, more trains and more stations. The el is a great benefit to the city but it has to be subsidized." More than ‘city’s rusty heart’: Devoted rider and Field Museum writer pens a book on L system By Andrew Herrmann - 08/13/2007 Chicago Sun-Times
In the case of Greg Borzo, that's especially true. A Field Museum science writer by day, Borzo, 53, spent three years researching the rail system, including digging through hundreds of photos in the CTA archives, to produce The Chicago L (Arcadia.) The Chicago L is a tale of scalawags and get-rich-quick schemers -- the L was originally built by private companies. Current threats by CTA officials to cut service if the system doesn't get more state money are just the latest chapter in a history of financial woes, says Borzo. "The L has always struggled financially," notes Borzo. "Over time, there have been constant financial pressures." Yet, the L -- which Nelson Algren called "the city's rusty heart" -- beats on. Most of L isn't elevated Enlivened by some 250 photos, Borzo's tome traces the L's birth in 1892 for the World's Columbian Exposition -- a line from Congress and State to 39th and then to Jackson Park -- through its use in Hollywood productions like Spider-Man 2. There have been many quirky turns. Nineteenth-century doctors warned elevated trains stunted the development of children and caused insomnia, hysteria and meningitis. In a comical anecdote, Borzo recalls a 1900 attempt by police to stop the first run of what is now the North Side Red Line from entering the Loop: The cops tossed railroad ties on the tracks to try to thwart its private owner. The L once carried freight, including corpses in a specially designed funeral car. Even the name itself is somewhat of a misnomer, says Borzo. Of the system's 105 route miles, only about a third are on elevated steel structures. The rest are in highway medians, on embankments, are subways or run at ground level. 'I just hate driving' As a child in Ravenswood, Borzo and his family of eight siblings, led by their history professor father, would travel the city by L. Now living in North Park, Borzo is a devoted rider -- so devoted some of his co-workers and friends suspect he has a physical ailment that prevents him from getting behind the wheel of a car. "People ask, 'Is your vision gone? Do you have balance problems?'" said Borzo. "I do have a license. I just hate driving." "People are passionate about the L," says Borzo -- in more ways than one. Who hasn't had a fleeting, one-stop crush on a fellow passenger? And Borzo points out the odd little bridge at Belmont where more than one marriage has been proposed. Book about Chicago’s ‘L’ details iconic transportation in Illinois By Mike Ramsey - 08/20/2007 The State Journal Register
“I ride the L every day, and I love it,” the 53-year-old northwest-side resident said. “I’m always curious: ‘What’s going on? Why is that there? What does this little thing mean — this remnant of a station, or this pole or this piece of equipment?’” His curiosity has led to the publication of a book that Borzo says is the first comprehensive history of Chicago’s iconic, occasionally criticized and perpetually cash-strapped train system. The Field Museum science writer spent the past few years sifting through hundreds of vintage photographs from several collections to lavishly illustrate his tome, “The Chicago ‘L.’” The book traces the L from its origins as a steam-powered passenger rail line that transported people to and from the 1893 World’s Fair for a nickel a ride. Borzo sorts through the additional routes that entrepreneurs built above the growing urban streetscape — sometimes with the aid of a little graft and corruption. Soon, all of the lines ran on electricity. Compared to today’s color-coded, centralized network under the Chicago Transit Authority, the competing rail systems of yesteryear seem confusing. By the turn of the century, four separate lines converged in a rail “Loop” in the central business district, and commuters had to pay a transfer fee to access another train off the same platform. “Yes, it was complex, but it was, at that time, a great way to get around,” Borzo said. Unification of the system came in 1911, under a private merger, but after World War II, the public CTA took over. Today, after a series of dismantlings and expansions, the network has 222 miles of track — most of them elevated, but with some stretches at street and subway levels. A ride costs $2. Nowadays, about 165 million passengers use the L each year, compared with the system’s 1926 zenith, when there were 229 million customers, Borzo said. Under the CTA, the L operated in the black through fare-box revenues until 1970, when population had shifted to the suburbs, Borzo said. He said the prevalence of automobiles also tipped the scale against the trains. Which brings us to 2007. In recent years, the financially struggling CTA has asked state legislators for additional operating funds and capital dollars to help keep up the 115-year-old system. CTA directors once again have prepared a “doomsday” strategy of fare hikes and service cuts on bus and train lines if Springfield does not come through with a bailout by September. A metropolitan sales-tax district helps finance the CTA and its sister transit agencies, the suburban Metra train system and Pace bus network. Legislation pushed by state Rep. Julie Hamos, D-Evanston, would authorize a .25 percent tax hike that would raise $280 million annually for the systems. She said her bill also would give Chicago the power to enact a real-estate transfer tax to pay down CTA pension debt and fund retiree health care. Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, however, has promised to veto any sales-tax increases; he has suggested closing business-tax loopholes to aid mass transit. Meanwhile, Hamos said her bill would need to win a three-fifths majority in both the House and Senate to become effective immediately and stave off the CTA doomsday plan. “It’s poised to be the solution for transit for a long time to come,” Hamos said. “Will the politics get in the way? I hope not, but I worry about it. The politics in Springfield right now are toxic.” Borzo said it’s a shame the L is ignored by policymakers and under-appreciated by riders who complain about occasional delays. He said investing in mass transit today is particularly wise amid global warming, which is believed to be caused in part by auto emissions. The L is a “treasure, and it would cost unbelievable amounts of money to build it from scratch today,” Borzo said. “Other cities would love to have this kind of system, and yet in Chicago we grumble about it and we don’t take care of it. It’s just amazing.” New book details the life of the Chicago L By Leila Noelliste - 11/16/2007 The Chicago Defender
Between 1830 and 1890, Chicago was the fastest growing city in the world. Having experienced an industrial revolution, it quickly became a national crossroads. Unfortunately, along with wealth and opportunity came air pollution and congestion. Private investors saw an opportunity to make a profit. Forgoing Chicago's streets, that were already crowded with wagons, horses and streetcars, they chose to develop a transit system that ran above the ground. In 1892, the "L" train made its first run. The "L" was initially viewed with great suspicion by the public. There were fears that the trains might fall off the track, or that the electricity used to operate the cars was dangerous. Developers addressed this by creating "L" routes that went to Chicago's most popular locales. The convenience persuaded many to give the system a fair chance. The construction of "L" trains was embroiled in corruption, and the book details several accounts of how bribery and kickbacks played a role in the extension of several routes. However, private companies were eventually acquired by the government, and in 1945 the city established an umbrella organization to handle all modes of local transportation. The Chicago Transit Authority as we know it, was born. Borzo details many of the "L"'s positive contributions that the average Chicagoan might not be aware of. For example, in its early years the "L" provided a fast and convenient route from the city's bustling interior to otherwise inaccessible farmlands. This was quintessential to Chicago's neighborhood boom and the expansion of its city limits, as neighborhoods began to proliferate around "L" routes. Borzo chose a chronological 'picture and caption' format to present his story, and the lack of consistent narrative makes the text feel a bit disjointed at times. Also, he dedicates a large portion of the book (9 of 12 chapters) to the "L"'s first 60 years, often to the detriment of its modern history. Overall, "The Chicago "L"" is a thoughtful and affectionate memoir of the city's most enduring transit system. It is a reminder that the trains are far more than electric cars on an elevated track. They are an integral part of Chicago's history and culture. Book explore history, culture of CTA By Hayley Graham - 11/21/2007 Chicago Journal
Long-time Chicagoan Greg Borzo is the author of "The Chicago 'L,'" Arcadia Publishing, a book of 250 historical photos and captions that tell the chronological history of the mass transit rail system. "Everybody knows that the Ferris wheel and Cracker Jacks and the picture posts card came out of the World's Columbian Exposition, but no one knows that the 'L,' the third rail with electric power, was created at the World's Fair," said Borzo, who became interested in the topic while volunteering at the Chicago History Museum. The photos were chosen from the Chicago Transit Authority's archive, and Borzo said he could have added 500 more to the book because the collection is so large and fascinating. The book explores everything from the various uses of the "L" to its numerous prototypes. Borzo said one of his favorite chapters in the book is the very last one, which talks about the magic and history of the "L." This chapter also talks about the dozens of movies that have been filmed on the "L," including "Spiderman 2," "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" and "Running Scared." "The 'L' is much more vibrant and fun than I had expected," Borzo said. "I was continually surprised." Borzo said he hopes people who read the book will appreciate and use the "L" more often. "In our society we should support mass transit," Borzo said. "Let's get on the 'L' and ride shoulder to shoulder with some of our fellow Chicagoans. It would help people appreciate each other more and our diversity more." Marcy Rae Henry, a humanities professor at Harold Washington College, said there is endless fascination to be found on the CTA, which is why she decided to compile her experiences into of series of stories for her book "The CTA Chronicles." The book, which Henry was able to get published with the help of a grant she received from the Chicago Cultural Center, was released last December and the second edition is set to come out at the beginning of 2008. "There's all of these people packed together in a contrived environment but that doesn't mean that they mix or mix well; it's heartwarming and heartbreaking," Henry said. "There is beauty in the moment - beauty in the fleeting." After reading "The CTA Chronicles," Henry hopes people will have a better understanding of what the CTA is about, how it is different from other forms of mass transit in the county and how Chicagoans all have the shared experience of the CTA, whether they want to believe it or not. Both Borzo and Henry will be discussing and signing their books at Barbara's Bookstore at the University of Illinois Chicago, located at 1218 S. Halstead, on Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m. For more information about Henry's book, visit www.ctachronicles.com. Book traces history of the ‘L’ By Chicago Tribune Staff Writer - 06/04/2007 Chicago Tribune
“The Chicago ‘L’,” by Greg Borzo, is a photographic history chronicling rail line expansions and demolitions over the last 115 years- and it celebrates the “L’s” ongoing contribution to shaping the city and the suburbs. It is a story that runs much deeper than just transportation. “I’ve had a longtime fascination with the ‘L,” riding it almost every day for 20 years and always looking out the window,” said Borzo a science writer at the Field Museum who said he strived to steer clear from presenting too much technical detail in order to appeal to a mass audience. “The ‘L’ is not only a way to get to work. It is fun and democratic. Crowded trains help us rub shoulders together, rich and poor, making us more aware of our fellow citizens than we would be sitting alone in a car,” said Borzo, 53, a lifelong Chicagoan. The book takes readers from the mid-1850s, beginning with Chicago’s first form of mass transit, the omnibus- a kind o stage coach that bounced through the rutted streets – through the development of horse cars, the steam locomotive, cable cars, trolleys, streetcars powered by overhead electrical wires and elevated trains, which initially carried freight instead of people. What the 'El'? By Out Chicago Staff Writer - 06/06/2007 Time Out Chicago
Book Review By Douglas John Bowen - 12/01/2007 Railway Age
Borzo complements (and perhaps balances) his own hometown love for the “L” with extensive documentation, anecdotes, and varied photos old and new, including but thankfully also transcending the “sepia nostalgia” into which too many books of similar intent are mired. Thus the book’s sepia photo cover doesn’t preclude the author delving beyond the cliché of the “L” itself as city center and circulator: Chapter 8 reviews the entity’s “Serving and Shaping the Suburbs.” Chapter 9 exclaims, “Finally, A Subway,” part of the Chicago Transit Authority of which many outside of Chicagoland are blithely unaware , and a reminder that even the famed “L” has been subject to demolition, thankfully somewhat limited to about eight miles or so, as planners weighed the necessity of tearing down elevated lines in favor of under ground operations. Ironically, the author himself finds it difficult to highlight more recent, ongoing triumphs of the “L”; it was one of the first U.S. systems to tie directly and relevantly to an international airport (compare the “L” service to O’Hare with any New York-area airport in 2007’ the “L” is far superior). And it continues its outstanding tradition of delivering throngs of fans to the city’s two baseball parks each year. While Borzo rightly notes that the “L” is “the envy of many cities, he also has acknowledged, almost pleadingly his hope to bolster the awareness level of his fellow Chicagoans. Here’s one ousters looking in who’s grateful for the author’s effort. Author details history of elevated tracks: Train system has 115 years of stories By Lindsey Reiser - 05/20/2008 Inside Lincoln Park
Greg Borzo is a former journalist turned science writer for the Field Museum. He is also an everyday L commuter, along with half a million other Chicagoans that board the train daily. Rather than simply disregard the system was a near adequately functioning but necessary means of getting around, Borzo became curious about the beginnings of the L figuring something that has long been a Chicago institution most likely has a interesting history. After signing up as a tour guide tat the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark ST., he used his resources to delve deeper into the train’s marketing. During this legwork, he not only discovered an encyclopedic amount of information about the L itself, he also fount doubt that con comprehensive book had been written for the audience. Thus began a four-year effort of research and writing, the final result being the book “the Chicago L.” In honor of this, the Friends of the Parks hosted a lecture by Borzo lst Thursday at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., as part of their Creative Living in the City series. Before the presentation, photos of the L flashed chronologically on the projection screen, from the first elevated train in New York to the 2006 fashion show held on the Brown Line. There was even an image of Spiderman clinging to the side of Manhattan’s evaluated subway, which sent a few chuckles throughout the crowd. Borzo then took the podium and began talking about the origins of his book as well as the originals of the train. HE first pointed out some flack he had received simply from the book’s title, and the use of “L” rather than “El.” He told how he hard received some rather unhappy letters. Borzo defended himself, however, saying that the CTA’s official label for the system is simply the “L”. The first elevated tracks were built in New York City in 1867 as extensions of the already established subway system. Chicago’s very first “L” line was completed in 1892, which ran from Congress to 63rd Street and was pulled by a steam locomotive. One of the cars from this train, train No. 1, is now on display in the Chicago History Museum and is an example of the decadent and detailed craftsmanship of the time. Gold detaiing, a rich mahogany interior, and stained glass upper windows all adorn the car, which would have originally been destined for the rubbish heap. There was a long and winding sequence of mass transit hopes before Chicago finally settled on the L. As the city grew in the mid 19th century, there was a greater call for public transportation. Lower income workers lining on the outskirts of the city could not afford their won horse and buggy, the most efficient way of getting around at the time, and usually had their own two to get from place to place. To solve this problem, the city established the Omnibus, old stage coaches converted into public cars. This was a step in the right direction, Borzo said, through it exacerbated the already severe traffic problems in the city, and commuters would often have to ride on top of the car due to overcrowding inside. Other modes were also tested including the horse drawn railcar and trolley card, but the most successful line before the elevated train was the cable car, brought to Chicago by convict and robber baron Charles Tyson Yearks. Yearks began to buy up the rail lines throughout the city and convert them to cable cars lines, as well as tunneling under the river and eventually creating a transport system with nearly 86 miles of track, the largest cable car system ever to exist, which ran for a total of 24 years, Borzo said. It wasn’t until the Columbian Exposition of 1893 when the technology exhibited there would lunch the L into the modern world of public transportation, and secure its place as a mass transit staple. Many of the innovations shown at the World’s Fair involved new ways to use e3lecricity, such as the Intramural train used to transport people throughout the fairground. The Intramural was about three miles long, with a “turning loop” at either end for the train to change directions. What was unique and innovation about this train was that it drew its power from an electrically charged third rail, then the first example of this technology, but the same basic system the L still uses today. With this new application of electric power, the L no longer needed the bulky steam engine to pull its passenger cars, crating a cleaner, more modern and efficient transport system. The L was used for more than mass transit, as well. Early on it head served as a quick way of getting newspapers circulated throughout the city, a means of transporting freight, and even served as more convenient form of the funeral car, since the traditional horse and buggy procession would take hours to reach distant plots, such as Calgary Cemetery near Evanston. The train also took tourists and class fieldtrips to Stockyards yeas ago, after a tour of which the adults received a free steak dinner. It isn’t just the L’s history that Borzo is concerned with, it’s continued existence as a living institution and Chicago income was a large chunk of the lecture. It is a symbol of the tightly woven fabric of Chicago, as it is the only mass transit system that physically defines its city’s central hub. It has run 24/7 for 115 years as a green form of transportation, long before the word “green” meant anything other than the color. In fact, today on L train full of commuters is enough to keep 1,000 cars off the road. During the presentation it was compared to the Eiffel tower, as both are examples of riveted steel plate construction perfected. The lecture demonstrated the many ways in which Borzo wants to see the L; not just a way of getting from A to B, but as a work of art, a reminder of where we’ve come from and where we’re going and an entity that brings people together. |
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