Kenmore station (Illinois)

Kenmore
General information
Location	Granville Avenue and Ravenswood Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60640
Coordinates	41.9947°N 87.6750°W / 41.9947; -87.6750
Line(s)	Milwaukee Division
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
History
Closed	December 1, 1958[1]
Previous names	High Ridge[1]
Services
Preceding station Chicago and North Western Railway Following station Rogers Park toward Milwaukee Milwaukee Division Rose Hill toward Chicago

Kenmore was a commuter railroad station on the Chicago and North Western Railway's Milwaukee Division, now the Union Pacific North Line. The station was located on Ravenswood Avenue between Granville and Thome Avenues, in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood. Kenmore opened in 1887 or 1888, and closed on December 1, 1958, as part of an effort by the Chicago and North Western to close twenty two stations within the city of Chicago and the close-in suburbs.

History

As constructed, the line through Chicago, Lake View Township, and the village of Rogers Park was at grade level. On July 15, 1889, Lake View was annexed by the city of Chicago^[2][3] and in 1896 and 1903, the city of Chicago passed ordinances requiring the elevation of the line.^[4] It wasn't until 1908 or 1909 that the elevation was completed to Evanston. During this period, Kenmore was rebuilt onto the line's solid-fill embankment.

By the 1950s, Chicago and North Western management began to reassess its commuter service and came to the conclusion that the road could be operated more economically and efficiently by closing stations in and near Chicago and focusing on suburban and long-haul traffic.^[5] In June 1958, the company went before the Illinois Commerce Commission requesting permission to abandon more than twenty stops, alter train schedules, revise its ticketing structure, and raise fares on monthly tickets.^[6] On November 14, the ICC ruled in favor of granting the majority of the North Western's requests,^[7] including the closure of the Kenmore station.^[8] The fare increase and service alterations went into effect on December 1, 1958,^[9] and Kenmore was abandoned along with twenty one other stations either in or near Chicago on the Milwaukee, Geneva, and Wisconsin Divisions.

See also

• Peterson/Ridge station, a nearby commuter rail station that opened in 2024.^[10]

References

1. "Chicago & North Western Railroad: History of Milwaukee line". Edgewater Historical Society. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
2. "It is One United City". Chicago Tribune. July 16, 1889. p. 1. Retrieved September 6, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Annexation Completed". Inter Ocean. July 16, 1889. p. 1. Retrieved September 6, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Vandervoort, Bill. "Chicago Track Elevation". Chicago Transit and Railfan. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
5. Wolfe, Sheila (June 15, 1958). "Riders Flay Plan to Shut Rail Depots". Chicago Tribune. p. 10, Part 3. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
6. Wolfe, Sheila (June 15, 1958). "Riders Flay Plan to Shut Rail Depots". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, Part 3. Retrieved September 6, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Unger, Rudolph (November 14, 1958). "Boost Affects 40,000 Daily". Chicago Tribune. p. 1. Retrieved September 6, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Unger, Rudolph (November 14, 1958). "Boost Affects 40,000 Daily". Chicago Tribune. p. 8. Retrieved September 6, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Commuters in Chicago Must Pay More Now". De Kalb Daily Chronicle. DeKalb, Illinois. December 1, 1958. p. 1. Retrieved September 6, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
10. D'Onofrio, Jessica (20 May 2024). "New Peterson/Ridge Metra station Metra station opens in Edgewater". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved 1 July 2024.