CTA Green Line - Englewood Truss Bridge

During the late 19th Century, electrified railroads became popular in the United States.  These railroads offered a viable, faster alternative to traditional steam railroads.  In major cities, electrified railroads would be constructed either on steel viaducts or in subways.  During the late 19th Century, Chicago had seen an unprecedented level of growth, and constructing a reliable public transportation system became a must for the city.  In 1888, the Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad Company (C&SSRT) was granted a franchise by the City of Chicago to construct a network of elevated rapid transit lines throughout the south side of Chicago, the first such franchise granted in the city.  The line would use light steam locomotives, different from cable or electrified railroads.  The first segment opened in 1892, which generally ran south between State Street and Wabash Avenue from Congress Parkway (present day Ida B. Wells Drive) to 39th Street.  The following year, the line would open to 61st Street and Jackson Park, where it was showcased at the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893.  The line briefly ran east along 40th Street, before continuing south between Prairie and Calumet Avenues.  The line then turned east along 63rd Street.

In South Side Elevated Railroad (South Side "L") took over the operations of the C&SSRT in 1897, and converted the line to an electric railroad in 1898.  During the early 20th Century, several branches would be completed along the system.  In 1905, a short segment was constructed along 59th Street from the mainline to State Street.  Construction would continue on the line through 1906.  In 1907, three branches opened to traffic.  The Englewood Branch generally ran west along 59th Street, turning south along Wells Street, again turning west between 63rd Street and 64th Street and extending to Ashland Avenue.  The Normal Branch extended south along Normal Avenue to 69th Street.  The Kenwood Branch extended east along the Chicago Junction Railway (CJ), ending at 42nd Street near Lake Park Avenue.  The Stockyards branch extended west along the CJ to Racine Avenue, and opened in 1908.  Both branches utilized the tracks of the CJ, which also carried steam locomotives.

In 1924, the South Side "L" became part of the Chicago Rapid Transit Company.  In 1947, the CRT became part of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA).  As ridership declined during the mid-20th Century, segments of the line would be abandoned.  The Normal Branch would be abandoned and demolished in 1954, followed by the Stockyards and Kenwood branches in 1957.  By the late 20th Century, the line had significantly deteriorated and would need a major rehabilitation.  The line reopened to traffic in 1996, with the portion east of Cottage Grove Avenue along 63rd Street remaining closed to traffic.  This segment would be demolished in 1997.  Today, this line continues to be operated by the CTA as the Green Line.  The Englewood Branch is now known as the Ashland Branch, and the Jackson Park branch is now known as the 63rd Street Branch.