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What became one of America’s greatest “bread and butter” railroads was founded in 1845 by a group of civic leaders in and around what we now know as the Quad Cities.
Conscious of the increasing migration to the west, these men felt a railroad should be built from La Salle to Rock Island, Ill., to provide an overland link between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers.
Officially chartered as The Rock Island and La Salle Railroad, its organizers had a hard time convincing investors to give money for a relatively short section of track connecting two secondary cities. After a quick review of their maps, organizers extended the planned route to Chicago, and the railroad was re-chartered as the Chicago & Rock Island Railway.
On Oct. 1, 1847, dirt was turned, and a little over a year later, the Rock Island launched service between Chicago and Joliet, Ill.
Over the years, through expanded routes and smaller line acquisitions, the Rock Island grew and was once again re-chartered as the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific. “Rocket” service was added to the line in 1935 offering swift passenger service to Kansas City, Des Moines, Minneapolis, Denver and Los Angeles from Chicago’s La Salle Street Station. Streamlined diesel locomotives and gleaming steel passenger coaches began to replace the dated steam engines and old, wood passenger cars, offering a thorough update and modernization of the line.
Following World War II, however, the advent of air travel began to take its toll on passenger rail service. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, “The Rock” continued to offer passenger service mostly in the Midwest, and by 1975, the railroad had emerged from its third bankruptcy.
Despite the best efforts of new management, trustees and a flashy new blue and white “The Rock” design, the company could not survive. After a crippling strike in 1979 by Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific clerks, the Interstate Commerce Commission ordered liquidation of the company’s assets, and operation of the line was taken over by the Kansas City Terminal Railway. “The Rock” was no more.
This postcard was sent to Mrs. N.B. Reed of Clarinda, Iowa, on March 23, 1941. The message reads: “Dear Aunt Ethel & all, I had a nice time, the weather here is so nice, hope it will be Spring in Nebraska soon. Aunt Agnes went to Fort Worth with me. Love, Lette.”
Michael Bushnell
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