The Illinois Central Railroad built a Romanesque Revival structure in 1893 to meet the traffic demands of the World's Columbian Exposition. The nine-story building featured a 13-story clock tower and housed the general offices of the railroad. It featured a massive train shed measuring 140 by 610 feet.
Located at the southern end of Grant Park near Roosevelt Road and Michigan Avenue, the station served as a terminal for intercity trains. It welcomed travelers bound for the West, housing trains like the City of New Orleans and the Panama Limited. In 1957, the New York Central Railroad moved its Michigan Central Railroad trains to LaSalle Street Station, resulting in a $5 million out-of-court settlement with the Illinois Central.
Central Station closed in 1972 when Amtrak rerouted services to Union Station. Demolition of the station building and its train shed began in June 1974. While the building is gone, the railyards south of the former station are the site of ongoing redevelopment as the Central Station project.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Leroy
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