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84-529: Memphis Union Station Company was chartered in Tennessee on September 25, 1909, for the purpose of operating Union Station. Construction of the facility began in April 1910, and the new station opened for service on April 1, 1912. The station was designed by architect J.A. Galvin, with Walter F. Schultz serving as engineer of construction. The architectural design of the station was a source of pride for Memphis, and

168-470: A 40% increase among 18- to 24-year-olds. From 1988 to 1992, murder arrests of youths under 18 increased by 256%. By the end of 1992, Little Rock reached a record of 61 homicides, but in 1993 surpassed it with 76. It was one of the highest per-capita homicide rates in the country, placing Little Rock fifth in Money Magazine's 1994 list of most dangerous cities. In July 2017, a shootout occurred at

252-515: A Memphis to Little Rock connecting train, in August 1965, and was thus not affected by the order to re-open Memphis Union Station. Passenger traffic into Memphis on both the L&;N and Southern was negligible, and the added expense of reopening Union Station caused both roads to initiate train discontinuance proceedings. These efforts were eventually successful, and Union Station was again closed for

336-548: A bill in the U.S. House of Representatives authorizing a land grant to 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

420-522: A folk anthem, " City of New Orleans " about riding on Illinois Central's "Monday-morning rail" train and 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

504-625: A second and final time on March 30, 1968, following the departure of the last Southern Railway passenger train from Memphis. The Memphis Union Station property was sold to the United States Postal Service for construction of a new mail sorting facility, and the station was demolished by February 1969. 35°07′56″N 90°03′20″W  /  35.1322226°N 90.0555408°W  / 35.1322226; -90.0555408 Illinois Central Railroad The Illinois Central Railroad ( reporting mark IC ), sometimes called

588-446: A separate Central Station two blocks to the west of Union Station. The terminal tracks were of a stub-end design, meaning that all trains had to back into the station from the main line tracks via a wye to reach the station's platforms. The station also had additional tracks for storage and servicing of passenger cars as well as a roundhouse and turntable , allowing locomotives to be serviced on site. This configuration served

672-486: A year later. Integration across all grades was fully achieved in fall 1972. The Little Rock school episode drew international attention to the treatment of African Americans in the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 116.8 square miles (303 km ), of which 116.2 square miles (301 km ) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km ) (0.52%)

756-473: Is Frank Scott Jr. , a former assistant bank executive, pastor and state highway commissioner. The city manager is Bruce T. Moore, the longest-serving city manager in Little Rock history. The city employs over 2,500 people in 14 different departments, including the police department, the fire department, parks and recreation, and the zoo. Most Pulaski County government offices are in Little Rock, including

840-673: Is Pinnacle Mountain State Park , a 2,000 acres (810 ha) park surrounding Pinnacle Mountain in the Ouachita Mountains . The Arkansas Arboretum at the park features flora and tree plantings correspond to Arkansas's six geographical regions. The Arkansas River Trail runs 17 miles (27 km) along both sides of the Arkansas River through a portion of Little Rock, including over the Big Dam Bridge ,

924-735: Is also home to the Little Rock Trojans , the athletic program of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock . The majority of the school's athletic teams are housed in the Jack Stephens Center , which opened in 2005. As of 2022, the Trojans play in the Ohio Valley Conference . Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium hosts at least one University of Arkansas Razorback football game each year. The stadium

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1008-479: Is an inter-modal river port with a large industrial business complex. It is designated as Foreign Trade Zone 14. International corporations such as Danish manufacturer LM Glasfiber have established new facilities adjacent to the port. Along with Louisville and Memphis, Little Rock has a branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis . Cultural sites in Little Rock include: Founded in 1976,

1092-551: Is available through history museums, historic districts or neighborhoods of Little Rock like the Quapaw Quarter , and historic sites such as Little Rock Central High School and West Ninth Street . The city is the headquarters of Dillard's , Windstream Communications , Stephens Inc. , University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences , Heifer International , Winrock International , the Clinton Foundation , and

1176-482: Is home to two universities that are part of the University of Arkansas System : the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences . UAMS consists of six colleges, seven institutes, several research centers, and the UAMS Medical Center . A pair of smaller, historically black colleges, Arkansas Baptist College and Philander Smith College , affiliated with

1260-545: Is known for being in the middle of a golf course. Each fall, the city closes the golf course on Razorback football weekends to allow the estimated 80,000 people who attend take part in tailgating activities. War Memorial also hosts the Arkansas High School football state championships, and starting in the fall of 2006 hosts one game apiece for the University of Central Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff . Arkansas State University also plays at

1344-538: Is water. Little Rock is on the south bank of the Arkansas River in Central Arkansas. Fourche Creek and Rock Creek run through the city, and flow into the river. The western part of the city is in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains . Northwest of the city limits are Pinnacle Mountain and Lake Maumelle , which provides Little Rock's drinking water. The city of North Little Rock is just across

1428-569: 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

1512-735: The Arkansas Repertory Theatre is the state's largest nonprofit professional theatre company. A member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT D), The Rep has produced more than 300 productions, including 40 world premieres, in its building in downtown Little Rock. Producing Artistic Director John Miller-Stephany leads a resident staff of designers, technicians and administrators in eight to ten productions for an annual audience in excess of 70,000 for MainStage productions, educational programming and touring. The Rep produces works from contemporary comedies and dramas to world premiers and

1596-528: The Arkansas River . Over the years, the "little rock" was known as a waypoint along the river, but remained unsettled. A land speculator from St. Louis, Missouri who had acquired many acres around the "little rock" began pressuring the Arkansas territorial legislature in February 1820 to move the capital to the site, but the representatives could not decide between Little Rock or Cadron (now Conway ), which

1680-921: The Arkansas Territory was moved to Little Rock from Arkansas Post in 1821. Little Rock is a cultural, economic, government, and transportation center within Arkansas and the American South . Several cultural institutions are in Little Rock, such as the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts , the Arkansas Repertory Theatre , the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra , and the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center , in addition to hiking, boating, and other outdoor recreational opportunities. Little Rock's history

1764-780: The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now , Clinton Foundation , Lions World Services for the Blind, Clinton Presidential Center , Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, FamilyLife , Audubon Arkansas, and The Nature Conservancy . Little Rock is also home to the American Taekwondo Association and Arkansas Hospital Association. Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield , Baptist Health Medical Center, Entergy , Dassault Falcon Jet , Siemens , AT&T Mobility , Kroger , Euronet Worldwide , L'Oréal , Timex , and UAMS are employers throughout Little Rock. One of

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1848-528: The Caddo , Quapaw , Osage , Choctaw , and Cherokee . Little Rock was named for a stone outcropping on the bank of the Arkansas River used by early travelers as a landmark, which marked the transition from the flat Mississippi Delta region to the Ouachita Mountain foothills. It was named in 1722 by French explorer and trader, Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe . Travelers referred to the area as

1932-639: 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

2016-609: The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was heard, to cease operation of passenger service to Memphis, it could rely upon legal precedent (as when Gulf, Mobile & Ohio , ended service south of St. Louis, and thereby voiding its joint agreement to fund New Orleans' Union Station) to void its joint agreement to support the operation of Memphis Union Station. The remaining two tenant railroads in Memphis Union Station were unwilling to assume

2100-588: The Little Rock School Board voted to begin the area's desegregation, in compliance with Brown v. Board of Education . On September 4, 1957, the first day of school at Central High, a white mob of segregationist protesters physically blocked the nine black students from entering the school. Minnijean Brown , Terrence Roberts , Elizabeth Eckford , Ernest Green , Thelma Mothershed , Melba Patillo , Gloria Ray , Jefferson Thomas , and Carlotta Walls , who had been recruited by Daisy Bates and

2184-529: The Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR Metropolitan Statistical Area was 748,031. The MSA covers the following counties: Pulaski , Faulkner , Grant , Lonoke , Perry , and Saline . The largest cities are Little Rock, North Little Rock , Conway , Jacksonville , Benton , Sherwood , Cabot , Maumelle , and Bryant . In the late 1980s, Little Rock experienced a 51% increase in murder arrests of children under 17, and

2268-805: 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, 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

2352-590: 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

2436-649: The NAACP , attempted to integrate Central High School, but Governor Orval Faubus deployed the Arkansas National Guard to support the segregationists , and only backed down after Judge Ronald Davies of U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas granted an injunction from the U.S. Department of Justice compelling him to withdraw the Guard. Angry white mobs began rioting when

2520-868: The National Premier Soccer League played their inaugural seasons in 2016 and 2017 for the men's and women's teams respectively. Home games are played at War Memorial Stadium . Little Rock was also home to the Arkansas Twisters (later Arkansas Diamonds ) of Arena Football 2 and Indoor Football League and the Arkansas RimRockers of the American Basketball Association and NBA Development League . Both of these teams played at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock. The city

2604-698: 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,

Memphis Union Station - Misplaced Pages Continue

2688-513: The Rose Law Firm . Archeological artifacts provide evidence of Native Americans inhabiting Central Arkansas for thousands of years before Europeans colonists arrived. The early inhabitants may have been the Folsom people and Mississippian culture peoples who built earthwork mounds recorded in 1541 by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto . Historically attested tribes of the area are

2772-423: The humid subtropical climate zone ( Cfa ), with hot, humid summers and cool winters with usually little snow. It has experienced temperatures as low as −12 °F (−24 °C), which was recorded on February 12, 1899 , and as high as 114 °F (46 °C), which was recorded on August 3, 2011. As of the 2020 United States Census , there were 202,591 people, 80,063 households, and 45,577 families residing in

2856-558: The "Little Rock". Though there was an effort to officially name the city "Arkopolis" upon its founding in the 1820s, and that name did appear on a few maps made by the US Geological Survey , the name Little Rock is eventually what stuck. The territorial capitol had been located at Arkansas Post in Southeast Arkansas since 1819, but the site had proven unsuitable as a settlement due to frequent flooding of

2940-614: 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,

3024-510: 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,

3108-633: 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

3192-717: The Ozarks , Rose Law Firm , Westrock Coffee, Central Flying Service, and large brokerage Stephens Inc. are headquartered in Little Rock. Large companies headquartered in other cities but with a large presence in Little Rock are Dassault Falcon Jet (near Little Rock National Airport in the eastern part of the city), Fidelity National Information Services (in northwestern Little Rock), and Welspun Corp (in Southeast Little Rock). Little Rock and its surroundings are home to headquarters for large nonprofit organizations, such as Winrock International , Heifer International ,

3276-520: The Power Ultra Lounge nightclub in downtown Little Rock; although there were no deaths, 28 people were injured and one hospitalized. In 2021, Little Rock saw a decrease in most violent crime, but a 24% increase in homicides from 2020. The 65 homicides were the third-most on record in the city. Little Rock set a new record of 81 homicides in 2022. Dillard's Department Stores , Windstream Communications and Acxiom , Simmons Bank , Bank of

3360-931: The Quorum, Circuit, District, and Juvenile Courts; and the Assessor, County Judge, County Attorney, and Public Defender's offices. Both the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit have judicial facilities in Little Rock. Emergency Response is brought to you by the Little Rock Police Department , Little Rock Fire Department, and Metropolitan Emergency Medical Service (MEMS) The Little Rock School District (LRSD) operates

3444-841: The RiverBlades of the ECHL played at the Verizon Arena . Little Rock is home to the Grande Maumelle Sailing Club. Established in 1959, the club hosts multiple regattas during the year on both Lake Maumelle and the Arkansas River . Little Rock is also home to the Little Rock Marathon , held on the first Saturday of March every year since 2003. The marathon features the world's largest medal given to marathon participants. Little Rock has 48 parks in its park system. The region's largest park

Memphis Union Station - Misplaced Pages Continue

3528-566: The South; it features seasonal festivals and cultural events. Lassis Inn was a meeting place for civil rights leaders in the 1950s and 1960s, including Daisy Bates , while they were planning efforts such as the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School . In 2017, it was among the three inaugural inductees into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame , along with Rhoda's Famous Hot Tamales and Jones Bar-B-Q Diner . In 2020, it

3612-937: The United Methodist Church, are also in Little Rock. Located in downtown is the Clinton School of Public Service , a branch of the University of Arkansas System, which offers master's degrees in public service. Pulaski Technical College has two locations in Little Rock. The Pulaski Technical College Little Rock-South site houses programs in automotive technology, collision repair technology, commercial driver training, diesel technology, small engine repair technology and motorcycle/all-terrain vehicle repair technology. The Pulaski Technical College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute and The Finish Line Cafe are also in Little Rock-South. There

3696-439: The United States with 748,031 residents according to the 2020 census. As the county seat of Pulaski County , the city was incorporated on November 7, 1831, on the south bank of the Arkansas River close to the state's geographic center in Central Arkansas . The city derived its name from a rock formation along the river, named the "Little Rock" by the French explorer Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe in 1722. The capital of

3780-430: 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

3864-965: The city such as Mills University Studies High School and Joe T. Robinson High School . Little Rock is home to both the Arkansas School for the Blind (ASB) and the Arkansas School for the Deaf (ASD), which are state-run schools operated by the Board of Trustees of the ASB–ASD. In addition, eStem Public Charter High School and LISA Academy provide tuition-free public education as charter schools. Various private schools are in Little Rock, such as: Arkansas Baptist School System , Central Arkansas Christian Schools , Episcopal Collegiate School , Little Rock Catholic High School , Little Rock Christian Academy , Mount Saint Mary Academy and Pulaski Academy . Little Rock's Catholic high school for African-Americans, St. Bartholomew High School, closed in 1964. The Catholic grade school St. Bartholomew School, also established for African-Americans, closed in 1974. The Our Lady of Good Counsel School closed in 2006. Little Rock

3948-412: The city was $ 37,572, and the median income for a family was $ 47,446. Males had a median income of $ 35,689 versus $ 26,802 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 23,209 . 14.3% of the population is below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.9% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. The 2020 U.S. Census population estimate for

4032-772: The city's comprehensive public school system. As of 2012 , the district has 64 schools with more schools being built. As of the 2009–2010 school year, the district's enrollment is 25,685. It has 5 high schools, 8 middle schools, 31 elementary schools, 1 early childhood (pre-kindergarten) center, 2 alternative schools, 1 adult education center, 1 accelerated learning center, 1 career-technical center, and about 3,800 employees. The public high schools in Little Rock are Little Rock Central High School , Little Rock Southwest High School , Little Rock West High School , Hall STEAM Magnet High School and Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School . The Pulaski County Special School District (PCSSD) serves parts of Little Rock. PCSSD high schools are in

4116-472: The city. As of the 2010 census, there were 193,524 people, 82,018 households, and 47,799 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,576.0 inhabitants per square mile (608.5/km ). There were 91,288 housing units at an average density of 769.1 per square mile (297.0/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 48.9% White, 42.3% Black, 0.4% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. 6.8% of

4200-420: The classics of dramatic literature. The Community Theatre of Little Rock , founded in 1956, is the area's oldest performance art company. The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra performs over 30 concerts a year and many events. The Robinson Center Music Hall is the main performance center of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. The Wildwood Park for the Arts is the largest park dedicated to the performing arts in

4284-433: 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

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4368-416: The financing later used by several long distance U.S. railroads whose construction 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

4452-425: 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,

4536-444: The full burden for maintenance and operation of the station, as the remaining passenger and express freight revenues of these carriers into Memphis brought in far less revenue than the continued operation of the station required. Louisville and Nashville Railroad made arrangements to become a tenant at Memphis Central Station , and Southern Railway returned to their ancient freight station on Lauderdale Street. Memphis Union Station

4620-407: 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

4704-399: The longest pedestrian/bicycle bridge in North America that has never been used by trains or motor vehicles at 4,226 feet (1,288 m). Little Rock Zoo , founded in 1926, consists of at least 725 animals and over 200 species. The city has operated under the city manager form of government since November 1957. In 1993, voters approved changes from seven at-large city directors (who rated

4788-413: The main building was the largest stone structure in the city. Memphis Union Station's purpose was to unite the passenger and express operations of the major railway lines that terminated in or travelled through Memphis, principally between east and west. Traffic between the north and the south was generally carried by the Illinois Central Railroad , whose operations at Memphis were large enough to justify

4872-469: 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

4956-466: 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

5040-403: The nine black students began attending Central High School. President Dwight D. Eisenhower , on the request of Woodrow Wilson Mann , Little Rock's mayor, deployed the 101st Airborne Division to the city and federalized the Arkansas National Guard to protect the students and ensure their safe passage to the school. Little Rock's four public high schools were closed in September 1958, and reopened

5124-409: The number of tenants in Memphis Union Station from five to three. In early 1964, Missouri Pacific Railroad served notice that their last passenger train serving Memphis would be moved from Union Station into a former freight station on west Calhoun Street. The Missouri Pacific benefitted from being a foreign (not otherwise doing business in Tennessee) corporation in Tennessee, once its petition before

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5208-406: 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

5292-404: 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 the recently completed Illinois and Michigan Canal . Upon its completion in 1856, the IC

5376-412: The population is Hispanic or Latino. There were 82,018 households, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.6% were married couples living together, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

5460-406: The position of mayor among themselves) to a popularly elected mayor, seven ward directors and three at-large directors. The position of mayor remained a part-time position until August 2007. At that point, voters approved making the mayor's position a full-time position with veto power , while a vice mayor is selected by and among members of the city board. The current mayor, elected in November 2018,

5544-452: 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

5628-492: The primary objective of the "western lines," such as the Cotton Belt (and its parent company, Southern Pacific ), the Rock Island , and Missouri Pacific were fully occupied serving all of the above named gateways. So Memphis held very little interest to them as a source of long-distance passenger revenue. As passenger train traffic declined after World War II , studies were done on consolidating all Memphis train operations in either Union Station or Central Station. However,

5712-405: The river from Little Rock, but it is a separate city. North Little Rock was once the 8th ward of Little Rock. An Arkansas Supreme Court decision on February 6, 1904, allowed the ward to merge with the neighboring town of North Little Rock. The merged town quickly renamed itself Argenta (the local name for the former 8th Ward), but returned to its original name in October 1917. Little Rock lies in

5796-440: 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

5880-460: 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

5964-463: The stadium from time to time. Little Rock was a host of the First and Second Rounds of the 2008 NCAA men's basketball tournament . It has also been a host of the SEC women's basketball tournament. The now defunct Arkansas RiverBlades and Arkansas GlacierCats , both minor-league hockey teams, were in the Little Rock area. The GlacierCats of the now defunct Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) played in Little Rock at Barton Coliseum while

6048-626: The state's largest public employers, with over 10,552 employees, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and its healthcare partners— Arkansas Children's Hospital and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System —have a total annual economic impact in Arkansas of about $ 5 billion. UAMS receives less than 11% of its funding from the state; it is funded by payments for clinical services (64%), grants and contracts (18%), philanthropy and other (5%), and tuition and fees (2%). The Little Rock port

6132-569: 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

6216-509: The various railroads could never agree on consolidation arrangements, and Memphis Union Station continued in operation into the early 1960s. Several named passenger trains stopped there during the golden years of rail. St. Louis Southwestern Railway discontinued passenger service to Memphis in October 1952, and Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway merged into Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N) in 1957, effectively reducing

6300-406: Was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85 males. The median income for a household in

6384-579: 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

6468-565: 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 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

6552-658: Was closed on April 1, 1964, fifty-two years to the day from the time the station had opened with great fanfare. A prolonged court battle ensued, with the City of Memphis claiming that Union Station had been abandoned without the approval of the Tennessee Public Service Commission. After appeals courts ruled against the railroads, both L&N and Southern were forced to re-open part of Union Station on December 1, 1966. Missouri Pacific had successfully discontinued their last Memphis passenger service,

6636-767: Was named an America's Classic by the James Beard Foundation. Little Rock is home to the Arkansas Travelers . They are the AA professional Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Seattle Mariners in the Texas League . The Travelers played their last game in Little Rock at Ray Winder Field on September 3, 2006, and moved into Dickey–Stephens Park in nearby North Little Rock in April 2007. The Little Rock Rangers soccer club of

6720-618: 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

6804-417: Was sold to the Illinois Central Railroad. Notes Bibliography Further reading Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock ( Quapaw : I’i-zhinka , lit.   ' Little rock ' ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas . The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Little Rock metropolitan area is the 81st-most populous in

6888-461: 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

6972-414: 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

7056-419: Was the preferred site of Territorial Governor James Miller . The issue was tabled until October 1820, by which time most of the legislators and other influential men had purchased lots around Little Rock. The legislature moved the capital to Little Rock, where it has remained ever since. Little Rock Nine were the nine African American students who desegregated Little Rock Central High School in 1957 after

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