Arising from the banks of the south branch of the Chicago River is an imposing structure 69.55 feet tall.  This is the Union Station Power House.  It is located on 301 W. Taylor Street.

     This structure was built in 1932.  The architects were Graham, Anderson, Probst and White.  The style of the building is art deco. It was constructed to provide power to Union Station and the post office.  Apparently both of these buildings were owned by the Chicago Union Station Company.  At the time of construction, this was described as a smokeless coal burning plant.

      In the 1980’s, officials at the plant were notified by the city that its four boilers had to be replaced.   This was done and the plant was active until 2011.   There is now an effort to save the plant and have it listed in the National Register  of Historic Places.

River City is a condo complex on the south Chicago River near Roosevelt Rd.  The architect was Bertrand Goldberg.   It originally was meant to be an extensive development.  But the plan never materialized.   The current building was built in 1983-1986.    There are 448 units.  Building is casted concrete.    There was extensive flooding of the project in 2010.  It is currently being offered for sale.    In August 2018, the River City Condo Owners Association approved a 90 million dollar sale of the South loop building to Marc Realty Capital.  The complex has 449 units.

     The years long battle to convert River City from condos to rental units has encountered another obstacle. A group of current owners has filed a suit on October 3, 2018.  They allege that members of the condo board helped the buyer make lucrative side deals with some owners in exchange for their yes votes to sell River City.    The owners behind the suit also alleged that board stuffed the ballot box in the August 28 vote to approve the buyer’s offer.

Bernard Goldberg was a prolific architect.  Some of his projects include Marina City (Chicago), Prentice Women’s Hospital ( Chicago), Good Samaritan Hospital (Phoenix)

        Revised and completed 12/27/2017

         The 18th Street (301 West; 1600 South) is a movable bridge over the south branch of the Chicago River.   It crosses east to west over the South Branch 3.6 miles from the river mouth.   It is a relatively new bridge.  It opened on August 18, 1967.   The bridge was designed by the Division of Bridges and Viaducts City of Chicago.  Contractor was Contracting and Material Company.    Cost was  $2.3 million.  The bridge was rehabbed in 2014-2015.  There is one main span and four approach spans.   Bridge description is metal rivet connected Pratt Railing Height Truss, movable single leaf bascule (fixed trunnion) and approach spans: metal stringer (multi beam), fixed.  This is the largest single leaf bascule bridge in Chicago.

     The main span length is 182 feet.  The structure length is 280 feet.  Roadway width is 48 feet.

    The first bridge at this location was built in 1857.  Designer is unknown.  Contractor was William Linton.   It was a wood pontoon swing bridge hand operated.   Cost was $3800.  It was. removed in 1867.

     The second bridge at 18th Street was opened in 1867.  It was designed and built under the supervision of J.K. Thompson Street Supervisor.  It was a Howe truss wood and iron swing bridge hand operated.  Cost was $28,500.

     In 1876, the bridge approaches were modified.  Viaduct were added over tracks of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad and the Chicago, Alton and Saint Louis Railroad.

      Bridge closed In 1888.

     The third bridge at this site opened on November 6, 1888.  It was a hand operated Pratt truss swing iron and steel bridge. It was 150 feet long. Designer is unknown.  Superstructure Contractor was King Bridge Company.  Substructure Contractor was Chicago Dredge and Dock Company.  Cost was $62,788.

     The bridge was converted to steam power in 1894.  In 1896, new floor added.  Turntable wheels replaced.
     The bridge was removed In 1903.

     The fourth bridge at this site opened in 1905.  It was an electric powered Scherzer Rolling Lift Bascule Bridge. It was made of steel.  The contractors were as follows:  

Designer : Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company.

Superstructure :  Jackson and Corbett Company

Substructure:  Lydon and Drews Company

     The bridge was built by the Sanitary District.

     Cost was $ 218805.

     The bridge underwent an extensive rehab in 1938.

     The bridge was removed in 1966.

 

 

The Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad began in 1895 as the Bluff City Electric RR (Street car line in Waukegan).    With growth and expansion, the name was changed to Chicago, Milwaukee Railroad.    Its main line traveled through the North Shore suburbs on its way to Milwaukee.  Southern terminus was at Church Street in Evanston.   Eventually, access was obtained on  the Red Line to  down town Chicago.

A branch line was constructed to Mundelein.   In 1924, construction was begun on the Skokie Valley by-pass.  This was constructed to avoid the congestion of the main line.  The new line started at Howard Street.  It went west to Niles Center  From here it extended north and west into a marshy area paralleling the Skokie Branch of the the Chicago and North Western R. R.  At Upton, the new route turned east at the Mundelein Branch until it reached west of Lake Bluff.  A new connection diverged north onto a freight only branch.  It eventually connected to the main line at the North Shore Junction.

 

Stops on this new bypass included:  Howard,  Asbury, Dodge Avenue, Crawford, Dempster, Harmswood, Glenayre,  Wa-Bun, North brook, Woodridge, Briergale, Highmoor, Sheridan Elms, Deerpath, Lake Bluff, Great Lakes, North Chicago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1925, service was provided on this line by the Chicago Transit Company from Howard to Dempster.    Stops on this line were Ridge, Asbury, Dodge,Crawford, Kostner, Oakton, Dempster.    Service ended in 1948.  It was replaced by bus service.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1963, North Shore R.R. line service ended.  The CTA resumed service on the Yellow Line between Howard and Dempster

An interesting fact about the Yellow Line is that at one time, the eastern half received power from a third rail; the western half power from overlying wires.   Eventually, the entire system was converted entirely to a third rail system.

During a recent visit to the Utica, Il area spring of 2017, we came  across this building.  According to our research, this was a power substation for the Chicago, Ottawa and Peoria Interurban Railway.

 

 

 

 

     In the Channahon area, the chief engineer  of the  I and M Canal  William Gooding was faced with a decision as how to handle the crossing of the canal and the DuPage River.  In other areas, this situation was handled by building an aqueduct to carry the canal over the intersecting streams.    Gooding decided to construct a dam across the DuPage River.    This was built in 1846–1848.   It was a timber crib structure. The dam produced a stable water elevation of the river.  It forced water into the canal.  Locks were constructed on each side of the dam.  (Locks 6 and 7).  The crossing problem was handled and water was provided to the canal.

   In 1877, the dam was replaced with a structure built of quarried stone. The cost of construction was $3,207.24.   The dam was repaired in 1918, 1920, 1925.    The current dam was built in 1935 by the CCC.  Total cost was $14,647. The spillwater on the dam created a man made waterfall.  It is 165 feet long and 11.5 feet high.

     
 

 

The current bridge over the Illinois River  at  IL 23, IL 71 in Ottawa is known as the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge.  It was built between 1981–1982.  It was a replacement for the Hilliard Bridge.  This was built in 1932-1933.  It was named after a former mayor of Ottawa.   The Hilliard Bridge was a 3 span through truss with a cantilevered center span.  It had pedestrian walks on both sides.  The largest span was 500 feet.  The total bridge length was 1,075.8 feet.

Before the Hilliard Bridge was the Ottawa Wagon Bridge.  It was located over the Illinois River between 1910-1932.

 

 

The current bridge is typically modern.  It is a four lane bridge.  It is a steel plate girder with concrete decks.  The bridge spans measure 385 feet, 510 feet, and 305 feet.  The bridge length is 1,317 feet.  Its width was 57 feet.  Its height above the water is 47 feet.

    The Sheridan Road Bridge crosses over the North Shore Channel and the Wilmette Pumping Station.  It was constructed in 1910.  The builder was unknown.  Chief Engineer was G.M. Wilson.  Chief Electrical Engineer was Edward Ellicott.

     The bridge has 5 main spans.  Main span length is 77 feet.  Structure length is 210 feet.  Roadway width is 46 feet.  The bridge is concrete encased deck plate girder.