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Clybourn train station/neighborhood?
Posted by:
Johnny Sauganash
()
Date: March 16, 2012 03:14PM
I often find that walking around an area brings a completely different awareness vs.driving.
So after decades driving around the near northwest side, it struck me like a bolt of lightning while destination walking down Clybourn Avenue ... the Clybourn train station is not anywhere near Clybourn Avenue.
The Wikipedia entry for the train station states: "It is called Clybourn because nearby West Cortland Street was part of Clybourn before Clybourn was extended North." But it also says the station opened in 1923 (seems late), so even if Cortland had been part of Clybourn at one time, the northern extension would have been created by that time. So something seems amiss about the wikipedia.
Instead of being named after the street (like Western Avenue or Kedzie), I'm wondering if Clybourn has a similar root usage to Healy and Grayland on the Milwaukee Road North. And what would that history be? Simply railroad-invented names/communities? Actual villages/subdivisions/neighborhoods that long ago were overridden by other names (Wicker Park, Hemosa, Irving Park, etc.)?
So after decades driving around the near northwest side, it struck me like a bolt of lightning while destination walking down Clybourn Avenue ... the Clybourn train station is not anywhere near Clybourn Avenue.
The Wikipedia entry for the train station states: "It is called Clybourn because nearby West Cortland Street was part of Clybourn before Clybourn was extended North." But it also says the station opened in 1923 (seems late), so even if Cortland had been part of Clybourn at one time, the northern extension would have been created by that time. So something seems amiss about the wikipedia.
Instead of being named after the street (like Western Avenue or Kedzie), I'm wondering if Clybourn has a similar root usage to Healy and Grayland on the Milwaukee Road North. And what would that history be? Simply railroad-invented names/communities? Actual villages/subdivisions/neighborhoods that long ago were overridden by other names (Wicker Park, Hemosa, Irving Park, etc.)?
Re: Clybourn train station/neighborhood?
Posted by:
PKDickman
()
Date: March 16, 2012 08:27PM
It wasn't part of Clybourn, it was Clybourn Place.
Several streets in the city have been named Clybourn over the years including a stretch of Pulaski north of 5200.
But Clybourn as we know it, was there and called Clybourn long before 1923.
The railroad called that spot in the tracks the Clybourn junction when Cortland was Clybourn and the name stuck.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2012 09:07PM by PKDickman.
Several streets in the city have been named Clybourn over the years including a stretch of Pulaski north of 5200.
But Clybourn as we know it, was there and called Clybourn long before 1923.
The railroad called that spot in the tracks the Clybourn junction when Cortland was Clybourn and the name stuck.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2012 09:07PM by PKDickman.
Re: Clybourn train station/neighborhood?
Posted by:
PKDickman
()
Date: March 18, 2012 03:06PM
In retrospect, my answer was a little terse.
Cortland was called Clybourn Place because the "Clybourn's place" was on it.
The Clybourns were one of Chicago's first families, related by marriage to the Kinzies and Caldwells and Cortland was their driveway.
Since the 1830's, their place was on the west side of the river on Elston. It probably predated the bridge and Clybourn Place was probably called Clybourn Place before Clybourn was called Clybourn. It continued to be called that into the 30's.
The 1923 date for the station is indeed suspect. The railroad was there before the civil war and it is such a perfect place for a station that I can't imagine them not stopping there.
Finally, as to why they still call it the Clybourn Stop, it is for the same reason your luggage tags from O'hare say ORD.
The railroad does not rename things for the convenience of potential passengers.
The nodes on the railroad's maps are not street corners, they are junctions on the track. The names are more important to the engineers than the passengers.
Cortland was called Clybourn Place because the "Clybourn's place" was on it.
The Clybourns were one of Chicago's first families, related by marriage to the Kinzies and Caldwells and Cortland was their driveway.
Since the 1830's, their place was on the west side of the river on Elston. It probably predated the bridge and Clybourn Place was probably called Clybourn Place before Clybourn was called Clybourn. It continued to be called that into the 30's.
The 1923 date for the station is indeed suspect. The railroad was there before the civil war and it is such a perfect place for a station that I can't imagine them not stopping there.
Finally, as to why they still call it the Clybourn Stop, it is for the same reason your luggage tags from O'hare say ORD.
The railroad does not rename things for the convenience of potential passengers.
The nodes on the railroad's maps are not street corners, they are junctions on the track. The names are more important to the engineers than the passengers.
old addresses
Posted by:
Rikki
()
Date: July 16, 2012 08:09AM
Why did the Brennan address numbering system begin at State and Madison, rather than somewhere else, for example Michigan Avenue and Lake Street?
I've noticed that streets located at even miles away from State and Madison (for example Halsted, Ashland, etc. to the west, and Chicago Avenue, North Avenue, etc. to the north) were already big streets on pre-1909 maps. Why?
Rikki Chunn
I've noticed that streets located at even miles away from State and Madison (for example Halsted, Ashland, etc. to the west, and Chicago Avenue, North Avenue, etc. to the north) were already big streets on pre-1909 maps. Why?
Rikki Chunn
Re: Clybourn train station/neighborhood?
Posted by:
tomcat630
()
Date: July 20, 2012 01:35AM
State st was designated as Chicago's 'Main St', for the central business district when city was planned. Back in 1830's there were no address numbers at all.
As for why is Madison divider N-S, that is a good question. It's posible that State and Madison just happened to be busiest intersection by 1900's, so was picked as Ground 0.
As for why is Madison divider N-S, that is a good question. It's posible that State and Madison just happened to be busiest intersection by 1900's, so was picked as Ground 0.
Re: Clybourn train station/neighborhood?
Posted by:
Business7007
()
Date: March 23, 2013 12:40AM
Clybourn Station and the related junction was and still is a particularly important site for the CNW (now UP). It is the point where the North line and Northwest line separate. These are two of the three main lines that CNW (UP) have into Chicago. The third is the West line that separates just outside of Northwestern Station or whatever they now call it
Re: Clybourn train station/neighborhood?
Posted by:
Lance Grey
()
Date: March 23, 2013 01:20AM
Here's a shot from Cortlant at Mendell looking West toward Elston
September 1952
http://collections.carli.illinois.edu/cgi-bin/getimage.exe?CISOROOT=/uic_pic&CISOPTR=1233&DMSCALE=100.00000&DMWIDTH=1500&DMHEIGHT=1200&DMX=620&DMY=193&DMTEXT=%20Southport&REC=4&DMTHUMB=0&DMROTATE=0
September 1952
http://collections.carli.illinois.edu/cgi-bin/getimage.exe?CISOROOT=/uic_pic&CISOPTR=1233&DMSCALE=100.00000&DMWIDTH=1500&DMHEIGHT=1200&DMX=620&DMY=193&DMTEXT=%20Southport&REC=4&DMTHUMB=0&DMROTATE=0
