Fresh milk was delivered on what was called Milk Trains. Metra still has one Milk Train. Fresh milk went to Chicago and empty milk cans came back. Every farmer had their own way of marking their cans.
Railroads were built to Crystal Lake, but due to a conflict with certain people downtown, the railroad went through a mile and a half to the north of the downtown. Have train, people will come.
Railroads don't like hills and in the village of McHenry there is only one hill along the path where the railroad was eventually built. That was at a place called Dark Cut which was hand-shoveled by Irish immigrants from 1853-1854. It is just north of Highway 176.
The railroad coming to McHenry caused the formation of the town of West McHenry.
Eventually, all the McHenry railroads became a part of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad in 1862.
Steam Engines Down the Tracks. --Cooter
No comments:
Post a Comment