. . . on yet another bookish adventure in my inter-library loan system, this time at the Indian Prairie Library, I noticed this poster as I started to walk out. I decided right then and there to sign up for the lecture, which was to begin in about thirty minutes. Sometimes spontaneity becomes an illustrative page in time.
The meeting room was close to being a full house as interested library patrons and others gathered for the lecture. I was actually surprised at the 1 pm turnout. It looked to be at least 60 people – a good number on snowy weekday afternoon.
Isn’t it amazing what public libraries provide? From the Lannon stone structure in Western Springs that recently gave me solace, to the day I was “mullioned” – and lived to tell the tale – libraries have also been havens for me. They not only house books; they instill knowledge and awareness through lectures and provide places to meet, to learn, to expand our knowledge. Public libraries are such treasures, but, you already know that.
The Chicago ‘L’ is an integral part of the City and suburban transport system. It grew out of the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire with its early transports taking patrons to the Columbian Exposition. The Windy City and the ‘L” grew in tandem, raising the City of Big Shoulders up from the ashes and expanding it outward to the north, the south, and the west, part and parcel to eventual urban and 
suburban sprawl.
I found Greg Borzo to be an interesting, entertaining and engaging speaker. A noteworthy historian with a passion for the City of Chicago, I know I would enjoy having him for a docent on a Chicago tour. He proceeded to bring the steel and beams of Chicago’s elevated trains to life as he mapped the history of early means of transportation in the late 1800’s with many vintage photos, some of which I am showing here and credit to Greg Borzo’s book, “The Chicago “L” ” .
I am most familiar with the Lake Street “L” and can vividly remember my first time on it, catching the “L” in Oak Park with my mother, heading downtown to the dentist, whose office was in the Field Annex of Marshall Fields. So clear is my memory of all the stops along the way and all the stations, up in the air, where people got off and people got on. I remember Ma saying, “Penny, we are now in the Loop” as the train circled round, making a loop, squeaking as it turned, the upper floor windows of businesses so close I could see in them. I hoped it wouldn’t fall down while in awe, catching the sun as it would play hide and seek sun, peaking around the skyscrapers.
Greg Borzo spoke of the many train lines that are all a part of the “L” system and how the subway eventually came into being, an underground system of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). He showed photos of workers digging out the mud, underground, to form the tunnels that would accommodate the underground trains.
I was particularly interested in the funeral train cars, recalling childhood stories of how my paternal grandfather’s coffin, family and mourners were taken from the City to Elmwood Cemetery in the suburbs. The train my Papou’s coffin was transported in would not have been on the “L”, but, the funeral car would have looked similar to the one I show here from the book. I can only imagine the long ordeal of sadness and grief, riding the rail out of the city to suburban areas during the Great Depression.
On a lighter note, we were also reminded of the many movies with scenes filmed on the Chicago “L”. Can you name any?
Do you have an elevated transport system where you live? Have you ever ridden on an elevated train?
I can’t wait to see what my next library visit brings.
Photos are from The Chicago “L” by Greg Borzo
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