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<p>In the early 1870s, the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) was beginning to construct and acquire a large railroad network throughout the Midwest. In 1871, the St. Charles Railroad (StCR), controlled by the C&NW, constructed a 2.40 mile branch line, extending from the existing mainline at Geneva, Illinois to St. Charles, Illinois. The Fox River Valley offered growing towns and a variety of industries, making it prime for the development of branch lines. The StCR was formally merged into the C&NW in 1881. The C&NW would become a prominent railroad in the Midwest, eventually building a system over 11,000 miles long. Passenger service over this line ceased in approximately 1951. In 1982, the line would be abandoned, and the right-of-way sold to the cities of St. Charles and Geneva. Today, much of the right-of-way is part of a trail, while much of the line within downtown St. Charles and Geneva has been redeveloped.<br></p>
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