Central Iowa Railway (formally named the Central Iowa Transportation Cooperative) was a 63-mile (101-km) freight railroad that operated during 1974 from Hills, Iowa to Montezuma, Iowa .
97-678: On February 22, 1974, the Central Iowa Railway took over operations of a 63.41-mile (102.05-km) branch line that its owners had purchased from the line's former owner, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad . The Central Iowa operated in Amish -settled country and had one locomotive: a 600-horsepower EMD SW1 that formerly had been owned by the Burlington Northern Railroad . The railroad's founders gave
194-682: A Florida East Coast strikebreaking situation, the unions appealed to the FRA and ICC for relief. Despite the fact that Rock Island management had been able to move 80% of pre-strike tonnage, at the behest of the Carter Administration, the ICC declared a transportation emergency, finding that the Rock Island would not be able to move the 1979 grain harvest to market. This decision came despite the railroad's movement of more grain out of Iowa in
291-775: A "low-altitude" crossing of the Continental Divide . The Rock Island did not concede to the Santa Fe's dominance in the Chicago–;Los Angeles travel market and re-equipped the train with new streamlined equipment in 1948. At the same time, the Limited was dropped from the train's name and the train was thereafter known as the Golden State . The local run on this line was known as the Imperial , which had
388-561: A branch operating through the northwestern edge of Mexico. The 1948 modernization of the Golden State occurred with some controversy. In 1947, both the Rock Island and Southern Pacific jointly advertised the coming of a new entry in the Chicago-Los Angeles travel market. The Golden Rocket was scheduled to closely match the Santa Fe's transit time end-to-end and was to have its own dedicated trainsets, one purchased by
485-599: A coal mining region fragmented this micropolitan area into many small towns. LaSalle and Peru make up the center of this community often referred to as the Illinois Valley. There is a dense halo of small towns surrounding the twin cities, most of them formed as mining and industrial suburbs. These towns span Bureau , Putnam , and LaSalle Counties and include former coal mining towns of Spring Valley , Oglesby , Cherry , Ladd , Dalzell , Seatonville , Hollowayville , Mark , Granville , Standard , and Cedar Point ,
582-606: A decade the Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Works became the largest producer of zinc in the country, and one of the largest in the world. The Matthiessens, Hegelers and their families were involved in developing the community. They helped found industries such as the LaSalle Machine and Tool Company and the Western Clock Co. that would later become Westclox . Mary Hegeler married Dr. Paul Carus , who founded
679-607: A spiritual from the late 1920s first recorded in 1934, was inspired by the railway. Its predecessor, the Rock Island and La Salle Railroad Company, was incorporated in Illinois on February 27, 1847, and an amended charter was approved on February 7, 1851, as the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad. Construction began in Chicago on October 1, 1851, and the first train was operated on October 10, 1852, between Chicago and Joliet . Construction continued on through La Salle , and Rock Island
776-522: A state that the Union Pacific viewed the expense of bringing it back to viable operating condition to be severely prohibitive. Additionally, the ICC attached conditions for both labor and operating concessions that the UP deemed too excessive for their tastes. These factors led the Union Pacific to walk away from the deal later in 1974. From the vantage point of the 1974 railroad industry, Klitenic's plan
873-596: Is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois , United States, located at the intersection of Interstates 39 and 80 . It is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area . Originally platted in 1837 over one square mile (2.6 square kilometers), the city's boundaries have grown to 12 sq mi (31 km ). Named in honor of 17th century Illinois valley explorer, the Sieur de La Salle , City boundaries extend from
970-717: Is a historic district with many historical structures and shops and boutiques catering to tourists. LaSalle has several National Historical Structures: Hotel Kaskaskia , the Hegeler-Carus Mansion , the Julius W. Hegeler House, and the LaSalle City Building. LaSalle has a National Historic Landmark: the Hegeler Carus Mansion. There is a strong Little League of nearly 30 baseball teams. The Illinois Valley Youth Football League folded in
1067-528: Is a regional non-profit arts advocacy organization dedicated to supporting and expanding the arts community in the area; local visual artists often display their works in the gallery in the historic Westclox building. Matthiessen Auditorium at La Salle-Peru Township High School hosts many performing arts groups, including the LaSalle-Peru Township High School band, jazz band, choir, musical, and local junior high bands. The Jazz in
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#17327980309871164-696: Is part of the Union Pacific Railroad , or with the Central Railroad of Iowa , which operated in Iowa in the 1800s. The federal government formally approved abandonment of the Central Iowa Railway's entire 63.4-mile line between Hills and Montezuma on May 4, 1978. The tracks were later removed. A small section of track just south of Hills, Iowa remained in place until it was removed in June 1992, however. The Central Iowa Railway's line never
1261-496: Is primarily a shortline holding company, while also providing numerous other railroad services, such as switching, railroad management, railcar fleet management, railcar storage, and locomotive maintenance. The company acquired their first railroad in early 2019 with the acquisition of the Mississippi Delta Railroad . The company rosters eight locomotives. La Salle, Illinois LaSalle or La Salle
1358-795: The Choctaw Rocket (Memphis—Little Rock—Oklahoma City—Amarillo) and the Cherokee (a local counterpart to the Choctaw Rocket , Memphis-Little Rock-Oklahoma City-Amarillo-Tucumcari-Los Angeles). By the time Amtrak was formed in 1971, the once-proud Rock Island was down to just two intercity trains, the Chicago-Peoria Peoria Rocket and the Chicago-Rock Island Quad Cities Rocket, both of which now operated entirely within
1455-512: The 2020 census there were 9,582 people, 3,758 households, and 2,283 families residing in the city. The population density was 711.9 inhabitants per square mile (274.9/km ). There were 4,483 housing units at an average density of 333.1 per square mile (128.6/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 79.0% White , 2.7% African American , 0.6% Native American , 0.9% Asian , 0.0% Pacific Islander , 6.1% from other races , and 10.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.0% of
1552-489: The Burlington , only over a longer route. The Midwest rail network had been built in the late 19th century to serve that era's traffic. The mechanization of grain hauling gave larger reach to large grain elevators , reducing the need for the tight web of track that crisscrossed the plains states such as Iowa. As for available overhead traffic, in 1958, no less than six Class I carriers were serving as eastern connections for
1649-658: The Chessie System . The Chicago and North Western acquired the line between the Twin Cities and Kansas City. The line between Tucumcari and St. Louis was acquired by the Cotton Belt . The Choctaw Route was sold in pieces. The line between Herington, Kansas and Fort Worth, Texas was sold to the Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad . The line between Peoria, Illinois , Bureau Junction and Omaha, Nebraska
1746-604: The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad in the Chicago-to-Denver market. While the Q fielded its Zephyrs on the route, the Rock Island ran the Rocky Mountain Rocket . The RMR split at Limon, Colorado , with half the train diverting to Colorado Springs , an operation known as the "Limon Shuffle". The Rock Island conceded nothing to its rival, even installing ABS signaling on the route west of Lincoln in an effort to maintain transit speed. The train
1843-517: The Illinois River and Illinois and Michigan Canal to a mile north of Interstate 80 and from the city of Peru on the west to the village of North Utica on the east. Starved Rock State Park is located approximately 5 mi (8 km) to the east. The population was 9,582 as of the 2020 census, down from 9,609 at the 2010 census. LaSalle and its twin city, Peru , make up the core of the Illinois Valley. Due to their combined dominance of
1940-634: The Open Court Publishing Company in 1887, whose mission was "establishing ethics and religion upon a scientific basis" and was a key figure in introducing Eastern thought to the United States, making LaSalle "Buddhism's Gateway to the West." Matthiessen was a philanthropist, who served as Mayor of LaSalle from 1886–1895. He gave thousands of dollars to help build the sewer system, the electric light plant and roads and bridges. As
2037-608: The Rock Island Rocket from Chicago for a Saturday night's revelry in such numbers that the streets of LaSalle are said to have been standing-room only. There was wall to wall entertainment along First Street, at the heart of which was the Kelly and Cawley liquor and gambling house. LaSalle became known as "Little Reno" and boasted dozens of clubs. With between 60 and 80 saloons in LaSalle from 1940 to 1950 this continued to be
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#17327980309872134-653: The Union Pacific at Omaha, all seeking a slice of the flood of western traffic that UP interchanged there. Under the ICC revenue rules in place at the time, the Rock Island sought traffic from Omaha, yet preferred to keep the long haul to Denver , where interchange could be made with the Denver and Rio Grande Western , a connection to the Western Pacific for haulage to the West Coast. The only option for
2231-447: The 1920s on, the suburban services were operated using Pacific-type 4-6-2 locomotives and specially designed light-heavyweight coaches that with their late 1920s build dates became known as the " Capone " cars. The suburban service became well known in the diesel era, as the steam power was replaced, first with new EMD FP7s and ALCO RS-3s , with two Fairbanks-Morse units added later. In 1949, Pullman -built 2700-series cars arrived as
2328-632: The 2021 census gazetteer files, LaSalle has a total area of 13.57 square miles (35.15 km ), of which 13.46 square miles (34.86 km ) (or 99.15%) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.31 km ) (or 0.85%) is water. La Salle is part of an extensive arts network including the Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Stage 212 community theater. The Dance Center, Music Suite 408, and Maestro & Mi provide dance and music lessons to students of all ages. North Central Illinois ARTworks
2425-566: The Federal Bankruptcy Act. William M. Gibbons was selected as receiver and trustee by Judge Frank J. McGarr, with whom Gibbons had practiced law in the early 1960s. With its debts on hold, Rock Island charted a new course as a grain funnel from the Midwest to the port of Galveston, Texas. The Ingram administration estimated that the Rock Island could be rebuilt and re-equipped at a cost of $ 100 million and sought financing for
2522-414: The Rock Island assessed its options. It hired a new president and CEO, John W. Ingram , a former Federal Railway Administration (FRA) official. Ingram quickly sought to improve efficiency and sought FRA loans for the rebuild of the line, but finances caught up with the Rock Island all too quickly. With only $ 300 of cash on hand, on March 17, 1975, Rock Island entered its third bankruptcy under Chapter 77 of
2619-439: The Rock Island elected to add to a subsequent order and took delivery of its first bilevel equipment in 1964. Power for these new cars was provided by orphaned passenger units: three EMD F7s , an EMD E6 , and the two EMD AB6s . The engines were rebuilt with head end power to provide heat, air conditioning, and lighting for the new cars. In 1970, another order, this time for Pullman-built bilevel cars arrived to further supplement
2716-617: The Rock Island introduced diesel power to its passenger service, with the purchase of six lightweight Rocket streamliners . In competition with the Santa Fe Chiefs , the Rock Island jointly operated the Golden State Limited (Chicago—Kansas City—Tucumcari—El Paso—Los Angeles) with the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) from 1902 to 1968. On this route, the Rock Island's train was marketed as
2813-472: The Rock Island to forsake the Denver gateway in favor of increased interchange at Omaha. Incredibly, the Rock Island refused this, and the UP routed more Omaha traffic over the Chicago and North Western . As a result, by 1974, the Rock Island was no longer the attractive prospect it had once been in the 1950s. The cost-cutting measures enacted to conserve cash for the merger left the Rock Island property in such
2910-405: The Rock Island to grow revenues and absorb costs was to merge with another, perhaps more prosperous railroad. Overtures were made from fellow Midwest granger line C&NW, as well as the granger turned transcon Milwaukee Road. Both of these never advanced much beyond the data gathering and initial study phases. In 1964, its last profitable year, the Rock Island agreed to pursue a merger plan with
3007-418: The Rock Island was handling about 30 percent of its prestrike tonnage with 5 percent of the prestrike onboard train operating personnel. Projections indicated that by the end of November, the company would be handling about half of its prestrike tonnage and earning a profit of about $ 5 million per month. In other words, the company was winning the strike." Seeing the trains rolling despite the strike and fearing
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3104-489: The Rock Island was not capable of operating profitably, much less paying its outstanding debts. At the same time, Crown invested as much as he could in Rock Island bonds and other debt at bankruptcy-induced junk status prices. For the previous two years, while the Rock Island invested heavily into its physical plant, the Rock Island brotherhoods had been working under labor agreements that were no longer valid. The front line operating employees had not had an increase in pay since
3201-435: The Rock Island's final plan of reorganization. He simply initiated the shutdown and liquidation of the Rock Island, which was what Henry Crown had advocated for from the very beginning. Not wanting to preside over an asset sale, Rock Island president John W. Ingram resigned, and Gibbons took over as president of the bankrupt railroad. Kansas City Terminal began the process of embargoing in-bound shipments in late February, and
3298-655: The Rock Island, including the Chicago-Omaha main line, would go to the Union Pacific. The Kansas City-Tucumcari Golden State route would be sold to the Southern Pacific. The Memphis-Amarillo Choctaw route would be sold to the Santa Fe. The Rio Grande would have an option to purchase the Denver-Kansas City line. During most of the ensuing merger process, Rock Island operated at a financial loss. In 1965, Rock Island earned its last profit. With
3395-485: The Rock Island, the other by Southern Pacific. As the Rock Island's set of streamlined passenger cars was being finished, the Southern Pacific abruptly withdrew its purchase. The Rock Island's cars were delivered and found their way into the Golden State' s fleet soon after delivery. The Golden State was the last first-class train on the Rock Island, retaining its dining cars and sleeping cars until its last run on February 21, 1968. The Rock Island also competed with
3492-601: The Street festival has been held annually in mid-September since 2006. Most years, there have been appearances by locally popular bands, including the Illinois Valley Community College and Northern Illinois University jazz bands. Tourism in the area is driven by Starved Rock State Park , Matthiessen State Park , Buffalo Rock State Park & I&M Canal National Heritage Area . There are several museums in and near LaSalle: Downtown LaSalle
3589-678: The UP, which would form one large "super" railroad stretching from Chicago to the West Coast. Facing the loss of the UP's traffic at the Omaha gateway, virtually every railroad directly and indirectly affected by the potential UP/Rock Island merger immediately filed protests to block it. With these filings began the longest and most complicated merger case in Interstate Commerce Commission history. Faced with failing granger railroads and large Class I railroads seeking to expand, ICC Hearing Examiner Nathan Klitenic, presiding over
3686-518: The arrival of two immigrants in 1858. Frederick William Matthiessen met German born Edward C. Hegeler at a prestigious mining school, and after graduating in 1856, the two traveled together to the United States. In 1858, attracted by the abundance of coal, coupled with the excellent transportation links provided by the canal and the Illinois Central Railroad , they chose LaSalle as the site for an innovative zinc smelting plant,
3783-419: The aura from those days waned in the late 1950s, the Rock Island found itself faced with flat traffic, revenues, and increasing costs. Despite this, the property was still in decent shape, making the Rock Island an attractive bride for another line looking to expand the reach of their current system. The Rock Island was known as "one railroad too many" in the plains states, basically serving the same territory as
3880-469: The average family size was 2.97. The city's age distribution consisted of 21.5% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 40% from 15 to 44, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.6 years, and for every 100 females there were 101.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 53,208, and the median income for a family was $ 58,898. Males had a median income of $ 46,020 versus $ 33,108 for females. The per capita income for
3977-565: The blue and black SW1 locomotive the unusual unit number of J33-3 after verse 33:3 in the Book of Jeremiah in the Bible , which says, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." The Central Iowa Railway was headquartered at 425 B Avenue in Kalona, Iowa , and its president was Harlan A. Stubbs (1909-2003). Extending south and west from Hills ,
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4074-523: The books to show the precarious financial condition of the road in an effort to get the BRAC in line with the other unions that had already signed agreements. Fred J. Kroll, president of the BRAC, declined the offer to audit the books of the Rock Island. Kroll pulled his BRAC clerks off the job in August, 1979. Picket lines went up at every terminal on the Rock Island's system and the operating brotherhoods honored
4171-479: The borders of Illinois. However, the Rock Island opted against joining Amtrak, in part because the government assessed the Amtrak entrance fee based upon passenger miles operated in 1970. After concluding that the cost of joining would be greater than remaining in the passenger business, the railroad decided to "perform a public service for the state of Illinois" and continue intercity passenger operations. To help manage
4268-519: The bridge, but that bridges across navigable rivers were to the advantage of the country. The M&M was acquired by the C&;RI on July 9, 1866, to form the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company. In 1877 Ransom Reed Cable became a director and in 1883 replaced Hugh Riddle as president, retiring as Chairman of the Board in 1902. The railroad expanded through construction and acquisitions in
4365-560: The canal boat basin and the steamboat basins were located. Steamboats from New Orleans unloaded molasses, sugar, coffee, and fresh oranges and lemons. Canal boats from Chicago brought lumber, stoves, wagons, and the latest clothing styles from the east. Local farmers hauled corn and wheat to be shipped to Chicago and points east. Passengers hustled to make connections to canal boats bound for Chicago or steamboats headed to St. Louis and beyond. Hotels and other services were available to travelers. Many stores grew catering to canal trade. Today
4462-555: The case, sought to balance the opposing forces and completely restructure the railroads west of the Mississippi River. After 10 years of hearings and tens of thousands of pages of testimony and exhibits produced, Klitenic, now an administrative law judge, approved the Rock Island-Union Pacific merger as part of a larger plan for rail service throughout the West. Under Klitenic's proposal, almost all of
4559-538: The city was $ 27,428. About 12.2% of families and 16.7% of the population were living below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under 18 and 11.7% of those 65 and older. The city is at the crossroads of Interstate 80 and Interstate 39 . Illinois Route 351 separates the east and west of US Route 6 . US Route 51 also runs through the city. The CSX New Rock Subdivision runs through town, with Iowa Interstate Railroad running via trackage rights . The Illinois Railway LaSalle Line also runs through town, crossing
4656-545: The company was acquired by the Maytag Corporation. Ironically, through the megamergers of the 1990s, the Union Pacific ultimately ended up owning and operating more of the Rock Island than it would have acquired in its attempted 1964 merger. The one line it currently does not own (or operate regularly, other than detours) is the Chicago-to-Omaha main line that drove it to merge with the Rock Island in
4753-780: The confines of the state of Illinois and renamed the Quad Cities Rocket . Other trains operated by the Rock Island as part of its Rocket fleet included the Corn Belt Rocket (Chicago—Des Moines—Omaha), the Des Moines-Omaha Limited (Chicago-Des Moines-Omaha), the Twin Star Rocket (Minneapolis—St. Paul—Des Moines—Kansas City—Oklahoma City—Fort Worth—Dallas—Houston), the Zephyr Rocket (Minneapolis—St. Paul—Burlington—St. Louis),
4850-522: The crossroads of I-39 and I-80 . It is located on a bluff above the Illinois River and the Illinois and Michigan Canal . The scenic sandstone bluffs and rivers of the area make it a destination for hiking and adventure tourism. LaSalle is the closest large town to two of Illinois most popular parks: Starved Rock State Park and Matthiessen State Park (created from the estate of LaSalle industrialist Frederick William Matthiessen ). The development of
4947-526: The early 1960s. Ruth Henning is listed as a co-creator of the show, along with her husband Paul, who also created The Beverly Hillbillies and executive produced Jay Sommers's Green Acres . The Rock Island Line Workshop, located in Silvis, Illinois , is now home to the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (RRHMA), a non-profit railroad preservation organization. Built in 1903, this was
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#17327980309875044-527: The eastern portion of Lee County . The Ottawa Micropolitan Statistical Area is the 9th Largest Statistical Area in Illinois . Downtown LaSalle is the hub of the community. The principal shopping streets are First Street, Marquette Street, and Gooding Street. It is one of the largest employment centers in the area with over 1,400 jobs. Downtown LaSalle hosts approximately 248 active businesses These small Downtown businesses cumulatively represent approximately and $ 419 million in gross annual sales. According to
5141-556: The end of that summer, the Illinois Division had no slow orders, and freight velocity was rising. The sale of the Golden State Route to the Southern Pacific had been agreed to. The Rock Island slowly inched towards a financial break-even point, despite the economic malaise that plagued the late 1970s. Creditors, such as Henry Crown , advocated for the shutdown and liquidation of the property. Crown declared that
5238-464: The entire community suspended all business between 11 and 12 o’clock. Today, this story is told at the Hegeler-Carus Mansion . With the end of Prohibition in 1933, saloons no longer operated under the euphemism of "soft drink" vendors, and these and related gambling concerns flourished. Although illegal, gambling proliferated in LaSalle, supporting the abundant and related tobacco, liquor, food, and lodging businesses. Travelers arrived by car or via
5335-563: The existing contracts expired yet remained on the job during extensive contract negotiations. By the summer of 1979, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the United Transportation Union had accepted new agreements. The Brotherhood of Railway and Airline Clerks (BRAC) held firm to their demand that pay increases be back dated to the expiration date of the previous agreement. The Rock Island offered to open
5432-436: The final train battled three days of snow drifts to arrive in Denver on March 31, 1980. Cars and locomotives were gathered in 'ghost trains' that appeared on otherwise defunct Rock Island lines and accumulated at major terminals and shops and prepared for sale. The railroad's locomotives, rail cars, equipment, tracks, and real estate were sold to other railroads or to scrappers. Gibbons was able to raise more than $ 500 million in
5529-508: The first air-conditioned commuter cars on the line. In the 1960s, the Rock Island tried to upgrade the suburban service with newer equipment at lower cost. Second-hand Aerotrains , while less than successful in intercity service, were purchased to provide further air-conditioned accommodations that had proven popular with the 2700 series cars. When the Milwaukee Road purchased new Budd Company stainless-steel, bilevel cars in 1961,
5626-414: The first in the United States. Before the plant opened, nearly all of the zinc used in the United States was imported. Zinc is needed to make brass and was a common fire-proofing material. Most significantly, zinc was used to prevent corrosion of iron and steel . With the opening of the first steel production plant in Joliet in the early 1870s, zinc became an important part of the local industrial economy. In
5723-399: The first place. This line now prospers under the Iowa Interstate Railroad . The company inspired the song " Rock Island Line ", first written in 1934 and recorded by numerous artists. A spur of the Rock Island Railroad that ran beside a small hotel in Eldon, Missouri , owned by the grandmother of Mrs. Paul (Ruth) Henning also inspired the popular television show Petticoat Junction in
5820-432: The first president of the LaSalle-Peru High School Board, he was a generous donor to the school. In 1914, Matthiessen established the Hygienic Institute to combat epidemics. A public benefactor, Matthiessen opened much of his estate, called Deer Park, to the public with the nominal entrance fee going to charity. In 1943, this property was named Matthiessen State Park in his honor. On the day of his funeral in February 1918,
5917-442: The fleet. To provide the power for these cars, several former Union Pacific EMD E8 and EMD E9 diesels were also rebuilt with head end power and added to the commuter pool. The commuter service was not exempt from the general decline of the Rock Island through the 1970s. Over time, deferred maintenance took its toll on both track and rolling stock. On the Rock Island, the Capone cars were entering their sixth decade of service and
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#17327980309876014-492: The following decades. On March 21, 1910, the Green Mountain train wreck resulted when a Rock Island Railroad passenger train derailed, killing 52 passengers and severely injuring scores of others. The railroad retired its last steam locomotive from service in 1953. The Rock Island stretched across Arkansas , Colorado , Illinois , Iowa , Kansas , Louisiana , Minnesota , Missouri , Nebraska , New Mexico , Oklahoma , South Dakota , and Texas . The easternmost reach of
6111-414: The industrial river and canal towns of Utica , Hennepin , and DePue , as well as the agricultural towns of Tonica , Lostant , McNabb , Magnolia , Arlington , and Troy Grove . When looking at job interdependence, these communities form a single whole. The population of LaSalle-Peru and its suburbs is over 42,000. Due to the fragmentation of the community across municipal, township, and county borders,
6208-405: The liquidation, paying off all the railroad's creditors, bondholders and all other debts in full at face value with interest. Henry Crown was ultimately proven correct, as both he and other bondholders who had purchased Rock Island debt for cents on the dollar during the low ebb in prices did especially well. The line from the end of commuter service in Blue Island to Bureau Junction was leased to
6305-440: The merger with Union Pacific seemingly so close, the Rock Island cut expenses to conserve cash. Expenditures on track maintenance were cut, passenger service was reduced as fast as the ICC would allow, and locomotives received only basic maintenance to keep them running. The Rock Island began to take on a ramshackle appearance and derailments occurred with increasing frequency. In an effort to prop up its future merger mate, UP asked
6402-696: The mid 2000s, giving way to the LaSalle-Peru Youth Football League. The city housed minor league baseball . In 1914, the LaSalle Blue Sox played as members of the Class D level Illinois–Missouri League They posted a 26–60 record. The area is home to three radio stations, WLPO , WAJK , and WLWF , all operating under Starved Rock Media. For newspaper, the NewsTribune serves the area, as well as many Chicago newspapers. LaSalle-Peru Township High School serves 9th–12th graders. LaSalle Elementary School District 122 (made up of two schools: Lincoln Junior High and Northwest Elementary) offers education for grades PreK-8th, as well as Trinity Catholic Academy. As of
6499-456: The mud. Rail and tie replacement programs attacked the maintenance backlog. This coincided with a massive campaign beginning in May 1975 to rebrand the railroad as simply “The Rock”, with modern eye-catching livery. However, the FRA-backed loans that Ingram sought were thwarted by the lobbying efforts of competing railroads, which saw a healthy Rock Island as a threat to their own survival. By 1978, main line track improved in quality. For example, at
6596-469: The nearly 30-year-old 2700s suffered from severe corrosion due to the steel used in their construction. LaSalle Street Station , the service's downtown terminal, suffered from neglect and urban decay with the slab roof of the train shed literally falling apart, requiring its removal. By this time, the Rock Island could not afford to replace the clearly worn-out equipment. In 1976, the entire Chicago commuter rail system began to receive financial support from
6693-402: The numerous stations on that route. The Suburban Line served the Beverly area of Chicago as a branch leaving the main line at Gresham and heading due west, paralleling the Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad passenger line before turning south. The Suburban Line made stops every four blocks along the way before rejoining the main line at Western Avenue Junction in Blue Island . From
6790-444: The old station. The RTA gradually rebuilt the track and added more new equipment to the service, leaving the property in better shape than it was in the Rock Island's heyday, albeit with less track. The Rock Island District , as the Rock Island's suburban service is now known, now operates as part of Metra , the Chicago commuter rail agency. The Rock Island hit its peak under the presidency of John Dew Farrington, from 1948 to 1955. As
6887-401: The picket lines. The Rock Island ground to a halt. The Ingram management team operated as much of the Rock Island as they could. Trains slowly began to move, with more traffic being hauled every week of the strike. President Jimmy Carter issued a back-to-work order that BRAC dismissed. Still more traffic flowed on the strikebound Rock Island. According to Ingram, "by the end of the sixth week,
6984-424: The plan. Grain shuttles that had no cabooses at the end of their trains became a cost-effective way to gain market share and help finance the plan internally. Nevertheless, new and rebuilt locomotives arrived on the property in gleaming powder blue and white to replace some of the tired, filthy power. Track rebuild projects covered the system. Main lines that had seen little or no maintenance in years were pulled from
7081-407: The population. There were 3,758 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and
7178-720: The present day. Until 2018 the line was operated by the Iowa Interstate Railroad from its own yard in Iowa City. Since then the CRANDIC has once again assumed operations with a captive locomotive interchanging cars with the IAIS at Iowa City. Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad The original Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad ( CRI&P RW , sometimes called Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway ) ( reporting marks CRI&P , RI , ROCK )
7275-542: The railroad's freight stations were in the towns of Hills , Riverside , Kalona , Wellman , Kinross , South English , Webster , Keswick , Thornburg , Gibson , Barnes City and finally, Montezuma . The Central Iowa Railway was short-lived; it couldn't cover its costs and suspended operations in October 1974. The Central Iowa Railway is not to be confused with the Des Moines and Central Iowa Railway , which now
7372-466: The railroad's largest workshop, sitting on a 900-acre site between the railroad's main line and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad ’s Rock Island branch. After the closing in 1980, the workshop was sold to National Railway Equipment , and it remained a maintenance and refurbishment hub for the wider North American railroad industry. NRE sold the facility to the RRHMA in late 2021, and plans call for
7469-401: The refurbishment of the facility to maintain steam, heritage diesel and associated rolling stock, in addition to developing a museum on the site. In 2017, thirty-seven years after the Rock Island folded, a new startup company that owns the rights to the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific name began operating in the southern United States. The new Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad LLC
7566-563: The scrapyard. With the 1980 end of the Rock Island, the RTA purchased the suburban territory and remaining Rock Island commuter equipment from the estate, while the Chicago and North Western Railway took over operations for a year before the RTA began operating it directly in 1981. LaSalle Street Station was torn down and replaced with the Chicago Stock Exchange building, with a smaller commuter station located one block south of
7663-427: The service to keep it running. The track program of 1978 helped with main-line timekeeping, although the Rock Island's management decreed that the two trains were not to delay freight traffic on the route. By this time, both once-proud trains were down to just two coaches, powered by EMD E8 locomotives entering their second decade of service. With the trains frequently running with as many paying passengers as coaches in
7760-410: The service, the Rock Island hired National Association of Railroad Passengers founder Anthony Haswell as managing director of passenger services. The last two trains plied the Rock Island's Illinois Division as the track quality declined from 1971 through 1977. The transit times, once a speedy 2½ hours in the 1950s, had lengthened to a 4½ hour run by 1975. The State of Illinois continued to subsidize
7857-599: The state of Illinois through the Regional Transportation Authority . Operating funds were disbursed to all commuter operators, and the Rock Island was to be provided with new equipment to replace the tired 2700 series and Capone cars. New Budd bilevels that were near copies of the 1961 Milwaukee Road cars arrived in 1978. New EMD F40PH units arrived in late 1977 and, in summer, 1978, briefly could be seen hauling Capone cars. The Rock Island's commuter F and E units were relegated to freight service or
7954-532: The story can be told at the La Salle Canal Boat, the Volunteer . By the mid 1850s, LaSalle had begun to exploit the coal that lay underneath much of the city. The LaSalle Coal Mining Company completed the first shaft in 1856 and many other companies soon followed. By 1884 there were six shafts in the area, the deepest 452 feet. The history of LaSalle would have been different were it not for
8051-604: The system was Chicago, and the system also reached Memphis, Tennessee . To the west, it reached Denver, Colorado , and Santa Rosa, New Mexico . Southernmost reaches were to Galveston, Texas , and Eunice, Louisiana , while in a northerly direction, the Rock Island got as far as Minneapolis, Minnesota . Major lines included Minneapolis to Kansas City, Missouri , via Des Moines, Iowa ; St. Louis, Missouri Meta, Missouri , to Santa Rosa via Kansas City; Herington, Kansas , to Galveston, Texas , via Fort Worth, Texas , and Dallas, Texas ; and Santa Rosa to Memphis. The heaviest traffic
8148-542: The town's primary commercial enterprise. In 1953 a federal raid on Kelly and Cawley's ended the era. The following businesses have more than 100 people staffed, making them the six largest in LaSalle: LaSalle-Peru is at the center of a network of Illinois' largest cities, between Rockford , the Quad Cities , Peoria , Bloomington , and Aurora and Joliet at the edge of Chicagoland . They are at
8245-424: The train, Illinois withdrew its subsidy, and the two trains made their final runs on December 31, 1978. The Rock Island also operated an extensive commuter train service in the Chicago area. The primary route ran from LaSalle Street Station to Joliet along the main line, and a spur line, known as the "Suburban Line" to Blue Island . The main-line trains supplanted the long-distance services that did not stop at
8342-419: The true size of the community is rarely measured. LaSalle-Peru and its suburbs form the largest community (20,696 jobs) in the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area where they compete with Ottawa-Marseilles and its suburbs (19,095 jobs) and the smaller trade centers of Streator (8,224 jobs), Princeton (9,322 jobs), and Mendota (5,813 jobs). The trade area of LaSalle-Peru also extends into Marshall County and
8439-489: The week immediately preceding the order than during any week in its history. The ICC issued a Directed Service Order authorizing the Kansas City Terminal Railway to take over operations. The Directed Service Order enabled one-time suitors, via KCT management, to basically test operate portions of the Rock Island that had once interested them. On January 24, 1980, Judge McGarr elected to not review
8536-453: The zinc processing industry in the early 1900s, they were collectively nicknamed "Zinc City." LaSalle was named in honor of the early French explorer Robert de LaSalle . The Illinois and Michigan Canal was first thought up by French explorer Louis Joliet. Much later, when Illinois became a state, the idea of a canal connecting Lake Michigan to the Illinois River was supported by many, including Abraham Lincoln . The 96 miles long canal
8633-500: Was acquired by the Iowa Interstate Railroad . Gibbons was released from the Rock Island on June 1, 1984, after its estate expired. With all assets sold and all debt retired, the Rock Island found itself with a large infusion of cash. The name of the company was changed to Chicago Pacific Corporation to further distance itself from the defunct railroad. Its first purchase was vacuum maker Hoover Company . In 1988,
8730-509: Was also re-equipped with streamlined equipment in 1948. As the Rocky Mountain Rocket was downgraded due to nonrail competition, the route traveled by the train was gradually shortened from 1966 onward. Its western terminus was cut back first to Omaha, then to Council Bluffs. After briefly running without a name, it was renamed The Cornhusker . Finally, in 1970, the train was cut back to a Chicago-Rock Island run entirely within
8827-478: Was an American Class I railroad . It was also known as the Rock Island Line , or, in its final years, The Rock . At the end of 1970, it operated 7,183 miles of road on 10,669 miles of track; that year it reported 20,557 million ton-miles of revenue freight and 118 million passenger miles. (Those totals may or may not include the former Burlington-Rock Island Railroad .) The song " Rock Island Line ",
8924-597: Was brought back into service, and its right-of-way largely reverted to adjacent farms. However, the Central Iowa's connection to the outside world, at Hills , changed hands in 1980, when the trustees of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad sold the Rock Island's 7-mile line between Hills and Iowa City to the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway . The CRANDIC owns the Hills-Iowa City line to
9021-411: Was completed on April 22, 1856. In 1857, the steamboat Effie Afton ran into the Rock Island's Mississippi River Bridge. The steamboat was overcome by a fire, which also destroyed a span of the bridge. This accident caused a series of court cases. In one of the cases, Abraham Lincoln , a lawyer at the time, represented the Rock Island. Lincoln argued that not only was the steamboat at fault in striking
9118-443: Was finally constructed between 1836 and 1848. Upon its completion, Chicago became the eastern terminus and LaSalle became the western terminus. LaSalle boomed as a transshipment point from canal boats coming from Chicago to steamboats going to St. Louis and New Orleans . It became a place where Northern and Southern culture met. It is difficult to imagine the level of frenzied activity that once took place at locks 14 and 15, where
9215-527: Was on the Chicago-to-Rock Island and Rock Island-to-Muscatine lines. In common with most American railroad companies, the Rock Island once operated an extensive passenger service. The primary routes served were: Chicago-Los Angeles, Chicago-Denver, Memphis-Little Rock-Oklahoma City- Tucumcari , and Minneapolis-Dallas. The Rock Island ran both limited and local service on those routes, as well as locals on many other lines on its system. In 1937,
9312-504: Was reached on February 22, 1854, becoming the first railroad to connect Chicago with the Mississippi River. In Iowa, the C&RI's incorporators created (on February 5, 1853) the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company (M&M), to run from Davenport to Council Bluffs , and on November 20, 1855, the first train to operate in Iowa steamed from Davenport to Muscatine . The Mississippi River bridge between Rock Island and Davenport
9409-548: Was viewed as an unmanageable and far too radical solution to both the granger railroad issue and the larger issue of the future of rail freight transportation in general. The visionary plan would not be realized until the megamergers of the 1990s with the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific remaining as the two surviving major rail carriers west of the Mississippi. Now set free and adrift, both operationally and financially,
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