Chicago ''L''.org: Stations

The Forest Park terminal is seen looking west from the pedestrian walkway across the tracks in 1946. The station house and platform canopy were in their final form, following modifications after a fire in 1944. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Charles E. Keevil, from the Walter R. Keevil Collection)

Forest Park (7300W/100S)
Marengo Avenue and Circle Avenue, Village of Forest Park

Service Notes:

Lake Street Route

Quick Facts:

Address: TBD
Established: May 20, 1910
Original Line: Chicago & Oak Park Elevated
Previous Names: none

Skip-Stop Type:

Station

Rebuilt: n/a
Status: Demolished

History:

Previous to the Lake Street Elevated's 1901 extension straight west along South Boulevard in Oak Park, the "L" tracks turned south at Lombard Avenue to various lines and routes west on Randolph to Wisconsin (Marion) Avenue and south on Cuyler Avenue to Harrison Street. The Lake Street Elevated had many franchise disputes with the township of Cicero and village of Oak Park, but finally an agreement was made so that the Lake Street "L" would reach Wisconsin Avenue via South Blvd., a block east of Oak Park's city limits.

For a decade after the Lake Street "L" reached Wisconsin Avenue (now Marion Street) and South Blvd. via ground-level tracks, various interurban railway promoters tried make franchise agreements to enter Oak Park from the west and use the Lake Street's line as an entryway into Chicago (the same way the Chicago Aurora & Elgin used the Met's Garfield Park Line). Only one of these, the Chicago & Elmhurst Railway, managed to build any track and it was used exclusively by the "L".

The Forest Park terminal looking northeast from the end of the line. When the station opened in 1910, just one track extended west from Wisconsin Avenue station, across Harlem to the Forest Park station. For a larger view, click here. (Photo courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)

The C&E claimed to be unaffiliated with the "L", who had unsuccessfully been trying to get the city of Forest Park and other western suburban cities to grant them a franchise to extend west. By 1909, the Chicago & Oak Park Elevated (which the Lake Street "L" had by this time been reorganized as) and the adjacent Chicago & North Western Railroad had finally reached an agreement by which the "L" could extend its tracks west about 1,200 feet into the steam road's Forest Park yard, at which point the "L" was to cross under the railroad's main line. With this agreement in hand, C&OP President Clarence Knight was able to obtain a temporary permit to cross Harlem Avenue into Forest Park to access the C&NW property. A single track was placed into service in 1909, but use was limited to work trains. The C&OP requested permission to operate passenger trains and, in late March, 1910, it was granted, though technically in the name of the now-obviously affiliated C&E interurban. The franchise also allowed an extension southwest to Circle Avenue, but this was never built.

Initially, only this one track crossed Harlem Avenue to the Forest Park terminal. The first station was a platform on the south side of the sole terminal track. The platform could be entered from its west end; whether this was the sole entrance or the platform could be accessed from both ends is not clear. A wooden station building was located in the middle of the platform. The platform bisected longitudinally, with a railing down the middle splitting it into a paid area on the north (track) half along the track side and the south half basically functioning as an unpaid walkway from the stairs at the end of the platform. The entry point between the two halves was at the station house. There was also an exit rotogate at the west end of the platform, allowing egress directly to the stairs off the platform.

The station was modified fairly early on, although the exact dates of the changes are not clear. A second track was added so that both main line tracks crossed Harlem Avenue and served the terminal, as was a third rail used for switching operations (the rest of the ground-level portion of the Lake Street "L" ran off overhead wire for safety). Access to the station was also changed to being solely from the east end of the platform which lined up with Marengo Avenue. The station house was also rebuilt and moved to the east end of the platform. These changes occurred no later than 1930, but some evidence suggests they may have occurred as early as the mid/late-1910s.

This photo, taken by C&NW Claims Dept in April 1954, shows the walkway to the Forest Park station looking north from Circle Ave at Marengo Ave. With all of the signs declaring "keep out" and private/railroad property, not to mention the lack of any signs explicitly stating the path is to access the "L" station, the Forest Park terminal did not have a particularly inviting or clear street presence. For a larger view, click here. (Photo from the Graham Garfield Collection)

The rebuilt station was small and simple, consisting of a single island platform of wood construction between the two tracks. At the east end of the platform was a small wood-frame, clapboard station house. This building had an appearance similar to ground-level wood station buildings such as those on the Garfield Park and Douglas Park branches, with a hipped roof and wide eaves. The outer frame of the building's roof continued beyond the rear, continuing as a canopy extending several car lengths down the platform. The canopy consisted of a row of thick center wood posts supporting a flat, slightly V-angled roof pitched toward the center. A pair of wood angle brackets braced the roof from each post. A smaller wood building was located nearer to the west end of the platform, probably a crew space.

One of the station's biggest challenges was its location -- it was, essentially, isolated in the middle of a railroad yard with no direct street frontage. The Chicago & Northwestern main line tracks were immediately to the north, elevated onto an embankment by the 1910s, creating a further physical barrier. On the south side of the station was a C&NW freight yard. Passengers access the station by means of a walkway from Circle Avenue on the south side of yard, from the foot of Marengo Avenue, across several yard tracks, to the front stairs of the station. "No trespassing" signs around the yard, crossings several active freight tracks, and the remote location of the station did not encourage strong ridership.

Fire is raging in this July 3, 1944 view looking southwest, with the platform and cars within it engulfed in flames. Amidst the catastrophe, this view also gives a good sense of what the Forest Park station house looked like before the fire, including its quaint awning and flowerbox on the railing and walkway between the front door and Circle Avenue across the C&NW yard tracks. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by B. Gerard, courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)

A severe fire at the Forest Park terminal on July 3, 1944 caused severe damage to the station and engulfed four cars, lightly damaging a fifth. The fire was reported to have started on a train that had just come into the station from the Loop, and spread to the station platform and canopy and then to another train on the opposite side of the platform. The fire was discovered by an engineer on the Chicago & North Western railroad -- the C&NW engineer blew a series of blasts on his whistle to attract the attention of "L" yard workers. Two engines of the Forest Park fire department were aided by an engine from River Forest in fighting the fire.

The cause of the fire is unclear--one source stated that it was "apparently caused by a short circuit in an elevated car", while Forest Park fire chief Henry H. Lang conjectured that the fire was started by a cigarette under the wood platform. Damage value was estimated at $40,000-50,000.

The station platform deck and canopy were severely damaged, with charred beams all that remained. The rear of the station house also suffered some burn and char damage but was less severe. Officials stated after the fire that there would be no service to the end of the line for several days while damage was repaired; until the station was repaired, service terminated at the Marion Avenue station adjacent to the east. The station was repaired and reopened, but with some changes. The platform was rebuilt and restored, but the canopy was not entirely rebuilt -- most of the canopy was removed without replacement, with only one bay of the canopy beyond the station house repaired and kept. The station house also appears to have had its exterior cladding replaced and other minor cosmetic changes, based on photos taken in the years after the fire.

When the CTA elevated the suburban Lake Street "L" tracks in 1962, the Forest Park station (along with all the rest of the grade-level stations) was demolished. Instead of the rebuilding Forest Park and the Marion stations, one new station in between was built at Harlem as the line's terminal. After the ground-level terminal was abandoned, the wooden structure was disposed of by burning it in early November 1962.

The Harlem Yard for the Lake Street "L" now occupies the site of the Forest Park station.

The Forest Park station platform is seen looking northeast in this October 1962 view, with car 4411 at one end of a 2-car Lake "A" train in the platform. The Wieboldt's department store on Harlem Avenue between Lake Street and the C&NW, a long-time local shopping destination, is visible in the background. The Forest Park station had only days left in this photo, shortly to be closed and replaced by the new Harlem terminal on the newly-elevated "L" tracks. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Charles Tauscher, courtesy of The Trolley Dodger)

forestpark_1910circa01.jpg (199k)
The Forest Park terminal looking east from the end of the line. When the station opened in 1910, just one track extended west from Wisconsin Avenue station, across Harlem to the Forest Park station. Note the "To the North Western" sign on the bottom right side of the front platform gate of the train in the station -- which end of the "L" line this connection was meant to imply (North Western Terminal downtown by the Canal "L" station, or Oak Park station by the Wisconsin [Marion] "L" station) is not clear. (Photo courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)

forestpark_1910s_late_circa.jpg (184k)
A group is assembled on a rainy day for a ceremony at the Forest Park station, looking north. The date of the photo is uncertain, but is after 1911 as the Lake Street "L" car visible in the background has had 3000 added to its fleet number, indicating it is post-Chicago Elevated Railways association; on the other hand, the car still retains its roof-mounted markers, number glass and destination sign, all of which were likely removed by the end of the 1910s. Whatever the case, by the time of the photo the second track has been added to the terminal, and the station has been rebuilt with the station house at the east end of the platform. (Photo courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)

forestpark_1940s_circa.jpg (167k)
Car 4427 is on the tail track beyond the west end of the Forest Park station platform, sometime in the 1940s. The photo was documenting the car's use during "radar" signal tests, though there is no information on what these tests entailed. (Photo by Barney L. Stone, courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)

ForestPark_19440703_fire01.jpg (166k)
The extent of the damage to the Forest Park station and five cars is well documented in this aerial view looking southwest on July 3, 1944; the photographer is likely looking down from the Wieboldts store that was just north of the station on Harlem between the C&NW tracks and Lake Street. The five affected cars are helpfully labeled in the photo, showing which were in the middle of the fire and which were on its fringes, getting less damage. The platform and canopy were totaled, however, and the station house rear a bit singed. In the background in the North Western's freight yard--the "L" station was sandwiched between the C&NW's main line tracks and this yard. (Photo by B. Gerard, courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)

ForestPark_19440703_fire03.jpg (160k)
The fire is still going when the burned-out hulk of ex-Lake Street Elevated car 3099 was captured along the fence separating the south side of the Lake Street "L" tracks from the C&NW yard. The owner of that fire-damaged 1937 Willys Model 37 probably wished they had obeyed that No Parking sign on the fence! (Photo by B. Gerard, courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)

forestpark_19540201.jpg (241k)
This view looking east from the front doors of the Forest Park station on February 1, 1954, shows the wooden pedestrian walkway from the station that turns across the south terminal track and leads to Circle and Marengo avenues. The "WARNING - LOOK OUT FOR TRAINS" sign survived to the end of the station's life in 1962, but looked far more worn by the end. The 4000-series train on the right is entering the terminal; its follower is in the distance approaching Elgin Crossover, which facilitated switching trains between tracks in and out of the two-stub track terminal.

ROW@Harlem_19540201.jpg (241k)
The ground-level Lake Street "L" tracks are seen looking west from Harlem Avenue on February 1, 1954, with trains on wood "L" cars both leaving the Forest Park terminal en route to downtown on the left, and approaching the terminal in the distance. A manual crossing gate can be seen on the right, and the shanty for the gateman who controlled the manual gates can be seen on the left between the tracks. (Photo courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)

forestpark_19540400a.jpg (270k)
This photo, taken by the Chicago & North Western railroad's Claims Department, shows the path between the street and the Forest Park station house looking northwest in April 1954. The dirt path crossed several freight yard tracks, as well as the Lake Street "L" south track (which, despite the majority of the ground-level Lake Street "L" being powered by overhead wire for safety, is equipped with third rail here for more efficient switching operations), amongst untamed weeds and various warning signs. (Photo from the Graham Garfield Collection)

ROW@ElginXover_19620000.jpg (185k)
This 1962 view looks east on the west end of the ground-level portion of the Lake Street "L" at the Elgin crossover that controlled access in and out of the Forest Park terminal. The diamond crossover allowed trains entering and leaving the terminal to change tracks as needed--for instance, the closer 4000-series train is leaving the terminal, and will cross over to the other track (the inbound main line track) at the crossover, allowing the other 4000-series train ahead of it to enter the terminal. Note that there is both overhead and third rail along both tracks -- the ground-level portion of the Lake Street "L" ran on overhead wire for safety, and trains to and from the main line would enter and leave Forest Park terminal with the poles up and powered by the overhead. However, the third rail was installed just on the tracks between Harlem Avenue and the Forest Park terminal to facilitate switching operations, such as moving trains from one terminal track to the other, or breaking apart consists of trains to remove or shuffle cars, without having to raise trolley poles, making terminal operations more efficient. (Photo courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)

forestpark_19621027.jpg (181k)
The Forest Park station house is seen looking west on October 27, 1962. The 4000-series train in the station on the left is the dedication train for the newly elevated Lake Street "L" tracks through Oak Park and Austin, as denoted by its front destination sign. The dedication of the new facilities took place that day, Saturday, October 27, and the line between Forest Park and Laramie was closed that weekend (with a bus substitution) through 6pm Sunday to make the new track connection west of Laramie, meaning the Forest Park station was probably closed to the public in this photo. (Photo by George Krambles, courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)

HarlemYard_19621103_SSsw.jpg (213k)
A spring-and-stay switch, with its identifying yellow switch stand, is also seen in Harlem Yard on November 3, 1962. The smoke visible in the background is from the closed Forest Park station being burned to dispose of the unneeded wooden facility. (Photo by George Krambles, courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)

	forestpark_1910circa01.jpg (199k) The Forest Park terminal looking east from the end of the line. When the station opened in 1910, just one track extended west from Wisconsin Avenue station, across Harlem to the Forest Park station. Note the "To the North Western" sign on the bottom right side of the front platform gate of the train in the station -- which end of the "L" line this connection was meant to imply (North Western Terminal downtown by the Canal "L" station, or Oak Park station by the Wisconsin [Marion] "L" station) is not clear. (Photo courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)
	forestpark_1910s_late_circa.jpg (184k) A group is assembled on a rainy day for a ceremony at the Forest Park station, looking north. The date of the photo is uncertain, but is after 1911 as the Lake Street "L" car visible in the background has had 3000 added to its fleet number, indicating it is post-Chicago Elevated Railways association; on the other hand, the car still retains its roof-mounted markers, number glass and destination sign, all of which were likely removed by the end of the 1910s. Whatever the case, by the time of the photo the second track has been added to the terminal, and the station has been rebuilt with the station house at the east end of the platform. (Photo courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)
	forestpark_1940s_circa.jpg (167k) Car 4427 is on the tail track beyond the west end of the Forest Park station platform, sometime in the 1940s. The photo was documenting the car's use during "radar" signal tests, though there is no information on what these tests entailed. (Photo by Barney L. Stone, courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)
	ForestPark_19440703_fire01.jpg (166k) The extent of the damage to the Forest Park station and five cars is well documented in this aerial view looking southwest on July 3, 1944; the photographer is likely looking down from the Wieboldts store that was just north of the station on Harlem between the C&NW tracks and Lake Street. The five affected cars are helpfully labeled in the photo, showing which were in the middle of the fire and which were on its fringes, getting less damage. The platform and canopy were totaled, however, and the station house rear a bit singed. In the background in the North Western's freight yard--the "L" station was sandwiched between the C&NW's main line tracks and this yard. (Photo by B. Gerard, courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)
	ForestPark_19440703_fire03.jpg (160k) The fire is still going when the burned-out hulk of ex-Lake Street Elevated car 3099 was captured along the fence separating the south side of the Lake Street "L" tracks from the C&NW yard. The owner of that fire-damaged 1937 Willys Model 37 probably wished they had obeyed that No Parking sign on the fence! (Photo by B. Gerard, courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)
	forestpark_19540201.jpg (241k) This view looking east from the front doors of the Forest Park station on February 1, 1954, shows the wooden pedestrian walkway from the station that turns across the south terminal track and leads to Circle and Marengo avenues. The "WARNING - LOOK OUT FOR TRAINS" sign survived to the end of the station's life in 1962, but looked far more worn by the end. The 4000-series train on the right is entering the terminal; its follower is in the distance approaching Elgin Crossover, which facilitated switching trains between tracks in and out of the two-stub track terminal.
	ROW@Harlem_19540201.jpg (241k) The ground-level Lake Street "L" tracks are seen looking west from Harlem Avenue on February 1, 1954, with trains on wood "L" cars both leaving the Forest Park terminal en route to downtown on the left, and approaching the terminal in the distance. A manual crossing gate can be seen on the right, and the shanty for the gateman who controlled the manual gates can be seen on the left between the tracks. (Photo courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)
	forestpark_19540400a.jpg (270k) This photo, taken by the Chicago & North Western railroad's Claims Department, shows the path between the street and the Forest Park station house looking northwest in April 1954. The dirt path crossed several freight yard tracks, as well as the Lake Street "L" south track (which, despite the majority of the ground-level Lake Street "L" being powered by overhead wire for safety, is equipped with third rail here for more efficient switching operations), amongst untamed weeds and various warning signs. (Photo from the Graham Garfield Collection)
	ROW@ElginXover_19620000.jpg (185k) This 1962 view looks east on the west end of the ground-level portion of the Lake Street "L" at the Elgin crossover that controlled access in and out of the Forest Park terminal. The diamond crossover allowed trains entering and leaving the terminal to change tracks as needed--for instance, the closer 4000-series train is leaving the terminal, and will cross over to the other track (the inbound main line track) at the crossover, allowing the other 4000-series train ahead of it to enter the terminal. Note that there is both overhead and third rail along both tracks -- the ground-level portion of the Lake Street "L" ran on overhead wire for safety, and trains to and from the main line would enter and leave Forest Park terminal with the poles up and powered by the overhead. However, the third rail was installed just on the tracks between Harlem Avenue and the Forest Park terminal to facilitate switching operations, such as moving trains from one terminal track to the other, or breaking apart consists of trains to remove or shuffle cars, without having to raise trolley poles, making terminal operations more efficient. (Photo courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)
	forestpark_19621027.jpg (181k) The Forest Park station house is seen looking west on October 27, 1962. The 4000-series train in the station on the left is the dedication train for the newly elevated Lake Street "L" tracks through Oak Park and Austin, as denoted by its front destination sign. The dedication of the new facilities took place that day, Saturday, October 27, and the line between Forest Park and Laramie was closed that weekend (with a bus substitution) through 6pm Sunday to make the new track connection west of Laramie, meaning the Forest Park station was probably closed to the public in this photo. (Photo by George Krambles, courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)
	HarlemYard_19621103_SSsw.jpg (213k) A spring-and-stay switch, with its identifying yellow switch stand, is also seen in Harlem Yard on November 3, 1962. The smoke visible in the background is from the closed Forest Park station being burned to dispose of the unneeded wooden facility. (Photo by George Krambles, courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)