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Story Name

Railroad

Current Railroad

Valuation Section(s)

Subdivision(s)

State

South/West Terminal

North/East Terminal

Description

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In 1882, the Belt Railway Company of Chicago (BRC) began building lines connecting major railroads on the south and west sides of Chicago. &nbsp; The route was selected to go through portions of South Chicago as well 
as Cicero.&nbsp; Five railroads originally financed the project, although 
nine additional owners would join in 1910.&nbsp; A subsidiary of the Chicago &amp; Western Indiana Railway, the railroad 
started near the Calumet River mouth at Lake Michigan, and proceeded 
westwards between 91st and 94th Streets until Auburn Park.&nbsp; From Auburn Park, the route followed the C&amp;WI for a short distance, before heading west along 75th Street.&nbsp; Near Cicero Avenue in Hayford, the main line turned north along Cicero Avenue, until it reached the Milwaukee Road at Cragin.&nbsp; A large yard would be built near Hayford, which would become the main facilities of the railroad.&nbsp; The entire route would be constructed with at leasttwo tracks. In the late 19th Century, railroad traffic had become a significant 
safety hazard for the City of Chicago.&nbsp; A solution was devised to 
elevate the railroad tracks throughout the city, placing the railroads 
upon embankments and constructing subways at each street.&nbsp; Much of the BRC line would be elevated in the early 20th Century.&nbsp; During the 20th Century, the railroad remained a critical component of the Chicago railroad network, connecting several large railroad yards with the main hump yard at Hayford.&nbsp; The railroad primarily operated by transferring cars between railroads.&nbsp; Today, the BRC continues to operate the same route, and the Clearing Yard continues to be among the largest railroad yards in the United States.&nbsp;

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