Mike Schafer 128 pages softcover
Railroads were key to Rockford's rise as a thriving manufacturing and
commercial center. With an area population of over 200,000 residents and
a reputation for manufactured goods, Rockford had a critical need for
railroads into the bust years of the 1970s. Eventually four railroads
rose to prominence in Rockford, all of them Class 1 carriers: the
Chicago and North Western; Chicago, Burlington and Quincy; the Chicago,
Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific (the Milwaukee Road); and Illinois
Central. For nearly a century, these four roads--all of them esteemed
Midwestern railroads--carried the bulk of freight and passengers
arriving and departing Rockford, Davis Junction, and Loves Park by rail.
Two other smaller railways, the Chicago, Milwaukee and Gary and the
Rockford and Interurban, also played a part in Rockford's railroad
history and are spotlighted in this volume.
