Stairwell, exhaust vents, stones in south Grant Park, former site of Central Station?


Questions and Answers (Q&A) Forgotten Chicago Forum
Explore Forgotten Chicago
Have a question about a specific element in Chicago's history? Ask Away! 
Stairwell, exhaust vents, stones in south Grant Park, former site of Central Station?
Posted by: garpo3000 ()
Date: July 27, 2012 01:22AM

Was wandering around Grant Park today. I had never noticed the two large boulders located near the former site of Central Station. I assumed they were from the old structure, as this article would seem to confirm:

http://www.chicagojournal.com/Blogs/South-Loop-Observer/05-30-2010/Two_stone_boulders

Just a hundred feet or so from there, there seems to be some exhaust vents, what seems to be a burried room and a locked stairwell that leads straight down into the ground.

Anyone seen this before/have any idea what it is?

Or, know anything more about those cornerstones?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2012 01:26AM by garpo3000.

Options: ReplyQuote

AD:

Re: Stairwell, exhaust vents, stones in south Grant Park, former site of Central Station?
Posted by: WayOutWardell ()
Date: July 27, 2012 02:23AM

Not sure about the vents nor stairwell, but info on the Central Station remnants is here:

[url=http://www.cpdit01.com/resources/planning-and-development.fountains-monuments-and-sculptures/Grant%20Park/Central%20Station%20Fragments.pdf]Central Station Fragments[/url]

Somewhat related, there are remnants of the other big ICRR facility at 63rd Street - on the west side of the track embankment still stand some girders from the station/accounting office building.

Options: ReplyQuote

AD:

Re: Stairwell, exhaust vents, stones in south Grant Park, former site of Central Station?
Posted by: garpo3000 ()
Date: July 27, 2012 02:56AM

Very cool. They were just sitting around somewhere on the IC ROW for decades...

Options: ReplyQuote

AD:

Re: Stairwell, exhaust vents, stones in south Grant Park, former site of Central Station?
Posted by: Paul Petraitis ()
Date: May 05, 2013 03:16PM

The IC's first station was a little structure at 12th Street. This is where the trains stopped in 1852 when the line was built north from Kensington (then known as Junction). When the IC built the breakwater north to Lake Street it built the original stone depot and some big yards from Randolph St north. All this was burned in the Great Fire of Oct 1871.

Options: ReplyQuote

AD:



Home | Columns | Articles | Features | Links | Forum | Mission Statement | Staff | Media & Press | Maps | FAQ | Contact