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66-636: The Chicago and Aurora Railroad's first incarnation was the Aurora Branch Railroad (ABRR), which was chartered by the Illinois General Assembly on February 12, 1849, to build a line from the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad (G&CU) to Aurora. According to railroad historian A. W. Newton, “The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad was then under construction, passing some twelve miles to the north, and agitation started for

132-422: A Senate seat becomes vacant more than 28 months before the next general election for that seat, an election is held at the next general election. The replacement member must be a member of the same party as the departing member. The General Assembly has enacted a statute governing this process. Under that statute, a replacement member is appointed by the party committee for that district, whose votes are weighted by

198-882: A main line of CB&Q successor Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway . This section of track makes up part of the Mendota Subdivision , which continues south-southwest to Galesburg. The original West Chicago-Aurora branch line is now an industrial track of the Chicago Subdivision . Mendota subdivision hosts about 40 freight trains a day, and Amtrak Southwest Chief #3 and 4, California Zephyr #5 and 6, Illinois Zephyr #383 and 380, and Carl Sandburg #381 and 382. It currently runs through Aurora, Montgomery, Bristol, Plano, Sandwich, Somonauk, Leland, Earlville, Meriden, Mendota, Clarion, Arlington, Zearing, Malden, Princeton, Wyanet, Buda, Neponset, Kewanee, Galva, Altona, Oneida, Wataga, and Galesburg. It interchanges with

264-432: A major celebration there, daily train service between Batavia and Chicago began on September 2, 1850. Construction to Aurora was completed on October 4, and the railroad company announced that beginning October 21, 1850, two round trips a day would be scheduled to Chicago and back. Customers paid $ 1.25 to travel from Aurora to Chicago, while the fare to Aurora from Chicago was $ 1.10. The trackage between Aurora and West Chicago

330-532: A reduction veto. These veto powers are unusually broad among US state governors. The line item veto was added to the Illinois Constitution in 1884. The amendatory and reduction vetoes were new additions in the 1970 Constitution. The General Assembly can override full, amendatory and item vetoes by a three-fifths majority vote in both chambers. It can override a reduction veto by a simple majority vote in both chambers. If both chambers agree to

396-549: Is currently exercised by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR). JCAR is made up of 12 members, with equal numbers from the House and Senate and equal numbers from each political party. It can block proposed rules by a 3/5 vote. The General Assembly can then reverse the block by a joint resolution of both houses. JCAR was first established in 1978 and given only advisory powers. The General assembly gave it

462-605: Is still in service as an industrial spur, though the connection in West Chicago has been removed. Like many early railroads, the Aurora Branch at first was working on a thin financial margin. Any new railroad had to spend huge amounts on track construction, rolling stock, and maintenance facilities before it could even begin to make money, so people were often wary about investing in them. The Aurora Branch sold less than half of its original stock outlay of $ 100,000, which

528-566: Is the second Wednesday of January each year. The Secretary of State presides over the House until it chooses a Speaker and the governor presides over the Senate until it chooses a President . Both chambers must also select a Minority Leader from among the members of the second most numerous party. In order to serve as a member in either chamber of the General Assembly, a person must be a U.S. citizen, at least 21 years of age, and for

594-569: The City of New Orleans and the Illini and Saluki between Chicago and Carbondale. Another Illinois corridor service is planned for the former Black Hawk route between Chicago, Rockford and Dubuque. Amtrak, at the state of Illinois' request, did a feasibility study to reinstate the Black Hawk route to Rockford and Dubuque. Initial capital costs range from $ 32 million to $ 55 million, depending on

660-735: The Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad ; this matched the tracks built by the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad. It appears that the first locomotive used on the Aurora Branch was leased from the Galena and Chicago Union; called the Pioneer , it was a 4-2-0 wood-burning engine built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. Late in 1850 the Aurora Branch purchased two engines second-hand: the Pigeon , another Baldwin 4-2-0 locomotive, bought from

726-566: The Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico . Another line connected Chicago west to Sioux City, Iowa (1870), while smaller branches reached Omaha, Nebraska (1899) from Fort Dodge, Iowa , and Sioux Falls, South Dakota (1877), from Cherokee, Iowa . The IC also ran service to Miami , Florida, on trackage owned by other railroads. The IC, founded in 1851, pioneered the financing later used by several long distance U.S. railroads whose construction

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792-639: The Illinois Central Gulf Railroad ( reporting mark ICG ). October 30 of that year saw the Illinois Central Gulf commuter rail crash , the company's deadliest. At the end of 1980, ICG operated 8,366 miles of railroad on 13,532 miles of track; that year it reported 33,276 million ton-miles of revenue freight and 323 million passenger-miles. Later in that decade, the railroad spun off most of its east–west lines and many of its redundant north–south lines, including much of

858-529: The Legislative Apportionment Amendment in 1954, there were 58 Senate districts and 59 House districts, which did not necessarily coincide. This new arrangement was conceived as a "little federal" system: the Senate districts would be based on land area and would favor downstate, while the House districts would be based on population. House members continued to be elected by cumulative voting, three from each House district. With

924-590: The Memphis and Charleston Railroad at Grand Junction, Tennessee and the Mobile and Ohio Railroad at Jackson, Tennessee. The Mississippi Central was the scene of several military actions from 1862 to 1863 and was severely damaged during the fighting. Company president, Absolom M. West succeeded in repairing the damage and returning it to operating condition soon after the end of the War. By 1874, interchange traffic with

990-689: The Michigan Central Railroad , and the Whittlesey , a small locomotive with 4 driving wheels, purchased from the Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad. However, once construction was completed, profits were strong enough so that on July 8, 1851, the Aurora Branch increased its stock to $ 600,000, and on the one-year anniversary of the branch line’s completion, October 31, 1851, the company also paid dividends of 10 per cent—though in stock, not cash—to investors who had covered 75% or more of

1056-698: The Panama Limited, the Electric District appears as "Panama Orange" on Metra system maps and timetables. Additionally, the IC operated a second commuter line out of Chicago (the West Line ) which served Chicago's western suburbs. Unlike the electrified commuter service, the West Line did not generate much traffic and was eliminated in 1931. Amtrak presently runs three trains daily over this route,

1122-614: The "Pearl and Leaf Rivers Railroad" was built by the J.J. Newman Lumber Company from Hattiesburg , to Sumrall . In 1904 the name was changed to the Mississippi Central Railroad ( reporting mark MSC ). In 1906 the Natchez and Eastern Railway was formed to build a rail line from Natchez to Brookhaven . In 1909 this line was absorbed by the Mississippi Central. For a short time during the 1920s,

1188-510: The 1880s, northern lines were built to Dodgeville, Wisconsin ; Sioux Falls, South Dakota ; and Omaha, Nebraska . Further expansion continued into the early twentieth century. The Illinois Central, and the other "Harriman lines" owned by E.H. Harriman by the twentieth century, became the target of the Illinois Central shopmen's strike of 1911 . Although marked by violence and sabotage in the southern, midwestern, and western states,

1254-607: The ABRR's directors identified a different destination for their route, planning to connect Aurora with the Illinois Central Railroad ’s main line in the area of Mendota, which would reduce competition with the G&;CU's line to Freeport. At that time, the Aurora Branch also signed a formal operating agreement with the Galena and Chicago Union to use their tracks into Chicago, beginning on January 1, 1852. The company

1320-599: The Aurora Branch’s stockholders and the Board of Directors instructed company officers to explore arrangements “with the Galena and Chicago Union Rail Road Company, or any other company or companies, for the purpose of uniting or consolidating this company.” Newton speculates that the Aurora Branch sought this merger because, in the Galena and Chicago Union’s original 1836 charter, the Illinois legislature had given that company

1386-409: The G&CU asserted its priority right and declared that they would build a line east from Aurora. This prompted the Aurora Branch in mid-December 1851 to seek a lease in perpetuity to use the Galena and Chicago Union’s right of way, which was formally agreed to on January 13, 1852. With the new lease, the Aurora Branch had secured the right to build westwards, against other possible contenders. In turn,

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1452-408: The General Assembly are elected at the beginning of each even-numbered year. Representatives of the House elect from its membership a Speaker and Speaker pro tempore, drawn from the majority party in the chamber. The Illinois Secretary of State convenes and supervises the opening House session and leadership vote. State senators elect from the chamber a President of the Senate , convened and under

1518-467: The General Assembly is redistricted following each United States Census . To prevent complete turnovers in membership (except after an intervening Census), not all Senators are elected simultaneously. The term cycles for the Senate are staggered, with the placement of the two-year term varying from one district to another. Each district's terms are defined as 2-4-4, 4-2-4, or 4-4-2. Like House members, Senators are elected without term limits. The officers of

1584-404: The General Assembly may not hold other public offices or receive appointments by the governor, and their salaries may not be increased during their tenure. Seats in the General Assembly may become vacant due to a member resigning, dying, being expelled, or being appointed to another office. Under the Illinois Constitution, when a vacancy occurs, it must be filled by appointment within 30 days. If

1650-504: The House has been elected from 118 single-member districts, which are formed by dividing each of the 59 Senate districts in half. Each senator is " associated " with two representatives. Members of the House of Representatives are elected to a two-year term without term limits . Members of the Illinois Senate serve two four-year terms and one two-year term each decade. This ensures that Senate elections reflect changes made when

1716-633: The Illinois Central Railroad was important enough that the IC installed a Nutter hoist at Cairo, Illinois to interchange between its standard gauge equipment broad gauge used by the Mississippi Central. This allowed the trucks to be exchanged on 16-18 freight cars per hour; a Pullman car could be changed in 15 minutes. The original Mississippi Central line was merged into the Illinois Central Railroad subsidiary Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans Railroad in several transactions finally completed in 1878. A line started in 1897 as

1782-1000: The Illinois Railway La Salle Line in Zearing, the Union Pacific Troy Grove Sub in Earlville, and the Illinois Railway Ottawa Line in Montgomery, all in Illinois. The original Chicago-Aurora line, the oldest commuter rail line in the Chicago area, still exists today as Metra 's BNSF Railway Line , operated by the BNSF Railway , which is the successor of the CB&;Q through numerous mergers. In 2017,

1848-759: The Mendota subdivision announced that it would become a designated quiet zone with the construction or the East Main Street underpass in Galesburg . Illinois General Assembly The Illinois General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state . It has two chambers , the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate . The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. As of 2023 ,

1914-608: The United States. The original Mississippi Central line was chartered in 1852. Construction of the 255 miles (410 km) 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) gauge line began in 1853 and was completed in 1860, just prior to the Civil War , from Canton, Mississippi to Jackson, Tennessee . The southern terminus of the line connected to the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad at Canton. It also connected to

1980-468: The adoption of the 1970 Illinois Constitution , the system of separate House and Senate districts was eliminated, and legislative districts were apportioned on a one person, one vote basis. The state was divided into 59 legislative districts, each of which elected one senator and three representatives. The cumulative voting system was abolished by the Cutback Amendment in 1980. Since then,

2046-625: The assent of the Governor of Illinois . They are published in the official Laws of Illinois . Two presidents of the United States , Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama , began their political careers in the Illinois General Assembly–– in the Illinois House of Representatives and Illinois Senate, respectively. The Illinois General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Initially,

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2112-469: The changes the governor suggests in an amendatory veto, these changes can be approved by a simple majority vote in both chambers. If the General Assembly approves an amended law in response to the governor's changes, the bill becomes law once the governor certifies that the suggested changes have been made. By statute, the General Assembly has the power to block regulations, including emergency regulations, proposed by state administrative agencies. This power

2178-702: The company to construct a line from the mouth of the Ohio River to Chicago and on to Galena . Federal support, however, was not approved until 1850, when U.S. President Millard Fillmore signed a land grant for the construction of the railroad. The Illinois Central was the first land-grant railroad in the United States. The Illinois Central was chartered by the Illinois General Assembly on February 10, 1851. Senator Stephen A. Douglas and later President Abraham Lincoln were both Illinois Central men who lobbied for it. Douglas owned land near

2244-523: The construction of a line from Aurora to a connection with this road, thus giving access to Chicago.” Village leaders in both Aurora and Batavia wanted to avoid the 38-mile wagon rides to and from Chicago, but they also worried about losing economic opportunities if the G&CU were to pass them by. Once the charter was obtained, surveying began almost immediately, and construction started in early 1850, working southeast from Turner Junction (now West Chicago ) and reaching Batavia in late August 1850. After

2310-707: The cost of their initial stock purchases. But before they had actually raised money to purchase equipment, in March of 1850 the Aurora Branch’s board was already looking farther afield, resolving “that it is the desire of the directors of this company to extend the Aurora Branch Railroad to the most feasible point on the Illinois River , as soon as possible." Although they made arrangements to survey this route, nothing came of it immediately—other corporate maneuvers had to happen first. In February 1851,

2376-640: The current General Assembly is the 103rd; the term of an assembly lasts two years. Under the Illinois Constitution, since 1983 the Senate has had 59 members and the House has had 118 members. In both chambers, all members are elected from single-member districts . Each Senate district is divided into two adjacent House districts. The General Assembly meets in the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield . Its session laws are generally adopted by majority vote in both houses, and upon gaining

2442-433: The end of 1970, IC operated 6,761 miles of road and 11,159 of track. In 1960, the railroad retired its last steam locomotive, 2-8-2 Mikado #1518. On August 31, 1962, the railroad was incorporated as Illinois Central Industries, Inc. ICI acquired Abex Corporation (formerly American Brake Shoe and Foundry Co.) in 1968. On August 10, 1972, the Illinois Central Railroad merged with the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad to form

2508-479: The former GM&O. Most of these lines were bought by other railroads, including entirely new railroads such as the Chicago, Missouri and Western Railway ; Paducah and Louisville Railway ; Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad ; and MidSouth Rail Corporation . In 1988, the railroad's parent company, IC Industries, spun off its remaining rail assets and changed its name to Whitman Corporation. On February 29, 1988,

2574-530: The line operated a service named "The Natchez Route", running trains from Natchez to Mobile, Alabama through trackage agreements with the Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad . At Natchez, freight cars were ferried across the Mississippi River to connect with the Louisiana and Arkansas Railway to institute through traffic into Shreveport, Louisiana . In 1967 the property of the Mississippi Central

2640-714: The main route including The Creole and The Louisiane . The Green Diamond was the Illinois Central's premier train between Chicago, Springfield and St. Louis. Other important trains included the Hawkeye which ran daily between Chicago and Sioux City and the City of Miami eventually running every other day between Chicago and Miami via the Atlantic Coast Line , the Central of Georgia Railroad and Florida East Coast Railway . The Illinois Central

2706-466: The newly separated ICG dropped the "Gulf" from its name and again became the Illinois Central Railroad. On February 11, 1998, the IC was purchased for about $ 2.4 billion in cash and shares by Canadian National Railway (CN). Integration of operations began July 1, 1999. Illinois Central was the major carrier of passengers on its Chicago-to-New Orleans mainline and between Chicago and St. Louis. IC also ran passengers on its Chicago-to-Omaha line, though it

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2772-529: The number of votes cast for that office in the area that each committee member represents. The appointment process was unsuccessfully challenged before the Illinois Supreme Court in 1988 as an unconstitutional grant of state power to political parties, but the challenge failed. The governor can veto bills passed by the General Assembly in four different ways: a full veto, an amendatory veto, and, for appropriations only, an item veto and

2838-581: The operation of the train, the Illinois Central combined the Panama Limited with a coach-only train called the Magnolia Star . On May 1, 1971, Amtrak took over intercity rail service. It retained service over the IC mainline, but dropped the Panama Limited in favor of the City of New Orleans. However, since it did not connect with any other trains in either New Orleans or Chicago, Amtrak moved

2904-412: The passing of the "magic carpet" ride of passenger rail service in the United States, which once dominated travel. The IC was one of the oldest Class I railroads in the United States. The company was incorporated by the Illinois General Assembly on January 16, 1836. Within a few months Rep. Zadok Casey (D-Illinois) introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives authorizing a land grant to

2970-423: The power to temporarily block or suspend administrative regulations for 180 days in 1980. In September 2004, the General Assembly expanded this temporary suspension power into a permanent veto. As the Illinois Constitution does not provide for a legislative veto , the constitutionality of this arrangement has been questioned. Among the charges brought against Governor Rod Blagojevich in his 2009 impeachment trial

3036-452: The present-day shore to the east. Track from Centralia north to Freeport would be abandoned in the 1980s, as traffic to Galena was routed via Chicago. In 1867, the Illinois Central extended its track into Iowa . During the 1870s and 1880s, the IC acquired and expanded railroads in the southern United States. IC lines crisscrossed the state of Mississippi and went as far south as New Orleans, Louisiana , and east to Louisville, Kentucky . In

3102-420: The presidency as part of then new Republican Party. In 1877, John W. E. Thomas was the first African American elected to the legislature. In 1922, Lottie Holman O'Neill was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives , becoming the first woman to serve in the Illinois General Assembly. Future U.S. President Barack Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, serving there until 2004 when he

3168-506: The recently completed Illinois and Michigan Canal . Upon its completion in 1856, the IC was the longest railroad in the world. Its main line went from Cairo, Illinois , at the southern tip of the state, to Galena , in the northwest corner. A branch line went from Centralia (named for the railroad), to the rapidly growing city of Chicago . In Chicago, its tracks were laid along the shore of Lake Michigan and on an offshore causeway downtown, but land-filling and natural deposition have moved

3234-445: The right to build “lateral routes” from its main line; an extension of the Aurora Branch westward could be built only by the Galena and Chicago Union. However, Newton also points out that consolidation wouldn’t do much for the G&CU financially, basically just giving them a parallel route not very far from the one they were already building—so no consolidation took place. Perhaps to help the Aurora Branch, however, sometime during 1851

3300-509: The route to an overnight schedule and brought back the Panama Limited name. However, it restored the City of New Orleans name in 1981, while retaining the overnight schedule. This was to capitalize on the popularity of a song about the train written by Steve Goodman and performed by Arlo Guthrie . Willie Nelson 's recording of the song was #1 on the Hot Country Charts in 1984. Illinois Central ran several other trains along

3366-460: The route. Once in operation, the service would require roughly $ 5 million a year in subsidies from the state. On December 10, 2010, IDOT announced the route choice for the resumption of service to begin in 2014 going over mostly CN railway. Presidents of the Illinois Central Railroad have included: Several locomotives and rolling stock formerly owned and used by Illinois Central are preserved, and many of them reside in parks and museums across

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3432-531: The state did not have organized political parties, but the Democratic and Whig parties began to form in the 1830s. Future U.S. President Abraham Lincoln successfully campaigned as a member of the Whig Party to serve in the General Assembly in 1834. He served four successive terms 1834–42 in the Illinois House of Representatives , supporting expanded suffrage and economic development. He later went to

3498-569: The strike was effectively over in a few months. The railroads simply hired replacements, among them African-American strikebreakers, and withstood diminishing union pressure. The strike was eventually called off in 1915. The totals above do not include the Waterloo RR, Batesville Southwestern, Peabody Short Line or CofG and its subsidiaries. On December 31, 1925, IC/Y&MV/G&SI operated 6,562 route-miles on 11,030 miles of track; A&V and VS&P added 330 route-miles and 491 track-miles. At

3564-527: The supervision of the governor . Since the adoption of the current Illinois Constitution in 1970, the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois does not serve in any legislative capacity as Senate President, and has had its office's powers transferred to other capacities. The Illinois Auditor General is a legislative officer appointed by the General Assembly that reviews all state spending for legality. The General Assembly's first official working day

3630-513: The terminal in Chicago. Lincoln was a lawyer for the railroad. Illinois legislators appointed Samuel D. Lockwood , recently retired from the Illinois Supreme Court (who may have given both lawyers the oral examination before admitting them to the Illinois bar), as a trustee on the new railroad's board to guard the public's interest. Lockwood, who would serve more than two decades until his death, had overseen federal land monies shortly after Illinois' statehood, then helped oversee early construction of

3696-445: The two years preceding their election or appointment a resident of the district which they represent. In the general election following a redistricting, a candidate for any chamber of the General Assembly may be elected from any district which contains a part of the district in which they resided at the time of the redistricting and reelected if a resident of the new district they represents for 18 months prior to reelection. Members of

3762-524: Was also a major operator of commuter trains in the Chicago area, operating what eventually became the "IC Electric" line from Randolph Street Terminal in downtown Chicago to the southeast suburbs. In 1987, IC sold this line to Metra , who operates it as the Metra Electric District . It still operates out of what is now Millennium Station , which is still called "Randolph Street Terminal" by many longtime Chicago-area residents. In honor of

3828-437: Was divided into 51 legislative districts, each of which elected one senator and three representatives. The representatives were elected by cumulative voting , in which each voter had three votes that could be distributed among one, two, or three candidates. Due to the unwillingness of downstate Illinois to cede power to the growing Chicago area, the district boundaries were not redrawn from 1901 to 1955. After voters approved

3894-474: Was elected to the United States Senate . The size of the General Assembly has changed over time. The first General Assembly , elected in 1818, consisted of 14 senators and 28 representatives. Under the 1818 and 1848 Illinois Constitutions , the legislature could add and reapportion districts at any time, and by 1870 it had done so ten times. Under the 1870 Illinois Constitution , Illinois

3960-424: Was enough to pay for surveying and grading the route. But to purchase track, locomotives, and cars, in March of 1850 the board offered bonds for sale worth $ 45,000 in total, with the directors personally providing guarantees of payment if necessary. The company economized by using both second-hand tracks and locomotives. In construction, they used wooden rails covered with strap iron which they had purchased used from

4026-449: Was never acted upon, and was repealed by an act of February 14, 1855, which instead changed the name to Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q). The Aurora-Chicago line was opened on May 20, 1864, by which time the CB&Q had, through acquisitions, acquired a main line from Chicago to Galesburg , where it split into branches for Burlington and Quincy . The portion of the Chicago and Aurora between Aurora and Mendota remains

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4092-618: Was never among the top performers on this route. Illinois Central's largest passenger terminal, Central Station , stood at 12th Street east of Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Due to the railroad's north–south route from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes, Illinois Central passenger trains were one means of transport during the African American Great Migration of the 1920s. Illinois Central's most famous train

4158-438: Was partially financed through a federal land grant . The Canadian National Railway , via Grand Trunk Corporation , acquired control of the IC in 1998, and absorbed its operations the following year. The Illinois Central Railroad maintains its corporate existence as a non-operating subsidiary. In 1971, Steve Goodman released a folk anthem, " City of New Orleans " about riding on Illinois Central's "Monday-morning rail" train and

4224-404: Was renamed Chicago and Aurora Railroad on June 22, 1852, and given expanded powers to extend from Aurora to a point north of LaSalle ; this extension, to Mendota, was completed on October 20, 1853. Another amendment, passed February 28, 1854, authorized the company to build east from Aurora to Chicago via Naperville , and changed its name to Chicago and Southwestern Railroad. The latter provision

4290-537: Was that he had not respected the legitimacy of JCAR blocking his rulemaking on healthcare in 2008. Illinois Central Railroad The Illinois Central Railroad ( reporting mark IC ), sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America , was a railroad in the Central United States . Its primary routes connected Chicago , Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana , and Mobile, Alabama , and thus,

4356-461: Was the Panama Limited , a premier all-Pullman car service between Chicago and New Orleans, with a section breaking off at Carbondale to serve St. Louis. In 1949, it added a daytime all-coach companion, the City of New Orleans , which operated with a St. Louis section breaking off at Carbondale and a Louisville section breaking off at Fulton, Kentucky . In 1967, due to losses incurred by

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