Silke Jasso
The “Alley L” may not have been the hero Chicago deserved, but it was the hero Chicago needed in 1892 and continues to be a hero to many commuters today.
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Chicago’s beloved “L” train has been operating for 125 years now and that’s something to celebrate on your morning commute. As it turns out, it was just as needed then as it is now.
The history of the “L” begins on June 6, 1892 when the first elevated line began boarding passengers, according to the Chicago Tribune. The line ran from Congress Parkway and State Street to 39th Street and the CTA is celebrating this occasion by putting some of those old trains back on the tracks.
The trains began as wooden passenger cars being pulled by small, coal-burning, steam locomotives, but quickly evolved when popularity struck, according to the CTA’s website. Rounding the tracks in celebration are the historic 1923 4000 series cars and the 1976 2400 series cars which don their original red-white-and-blue bicentennial colors.
Back when the “L” first started running it was a novel idea to many Chicagoans, Graham Garfield, CTA general manager of customer information and unofficial agency historian, told the Tribune. While appearing novel to some, the train immediately attracted the attention of Chicagoans and was popular from the start.
Chicago's 'L' turns 125 today, and the @cta is celebrating by giving YOU a present https://t.co/IWKP19ogAe pic.twitter.com/oeHGZSVXLV
— Block Club Chicago (@BlockClubCHI) June 6, 2017
“[The ‘L’] developed confidence in the city,” Greg Borzo, author of “The Chicago ‘L,’” told the Tribune. “It created energy and pride and attracted residents. It encouraged people to invest in and move to Chicago.”
Adding color to the windy city, the “L” created a way for people of different incomes to move freely throughout Chicago, promoting diversity among other things. While the “L” has expanded considerably since its beginnings 125 years ago, there is no doubt that its importance and popularity has always been around.
Overcoming its own challenges, the “L” has been a faithful provider for Chicagoans who take the commute in and around the city every day. Chicagoans celebrate this hero as they remember the long commute they would otherwise have to take if it weren’t for the “L.”
