Chicago Central: A History of Rails and Trains in the City

The John Crerar Library Atrium
April 16-September 28, 2012

Chicago’s rapid growth into a major metropolis coincided with the rise of trains as the preeminent form of transportation in America.  In the late nineteenth century, Chicago developed into the Midwest’s  hub of train transport  and a manufacturing center for railroad equipment.  The exhibit examines some elements of this history, including the city’s stations, trains and rail workers and innovations in train technology.