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<p>In the early 1850s, the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad (G&CU) completed a line between Chicago and Freeport, Illinois. In 1853, the railroad constructed 20 additional miles from Beloit, Wisconsin to Belvidere, Illinois. The G&CU was consolidated with the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) in 1864. The C&NW was beginning to construct and acquire a large network of railroads throughout the Midwest. This line served to connect lines in Wisconsin with the G&CU line into Chicago. In 1885, the Northern Illinois Railway Company (NIR) completed an additional 76 miles from Belvidere to Spring Valley, Illinois; and would promptly be consolidated into the C&NW. The southern extension of this line provided the C&NW with access to the Illinois River Valley; which had an abundance of minerals, including coal. <br></p><p>The C&NW would become a prominent railroad in the Midwest, eventually building a system over 11,000 miles long. During the mid-20th Century, this route would become less important for the C&NW. In 1942, the segment between Caledonia and Sycamore would be abandoned, followed by the segment between Howe and Spring Valley in 1976; Troy Grove to Howe in 1981; DeKalb to Sycamore in 1984 and South Beloit to Caledonia in 1988. In 1995, the C&NW would be purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad. Today, the Stone Bridge Trail utilizes the railroad between South Beloit and Caledonia. Union Pacific continues to operate the Troy Grove Subdivision between DeKalb and Troy Grove; as well as a short amount of trackage in Beloit.<br><br></p>
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