Des Plaines, IL

Des Plaines, IL

 

 

The City of Des Plaines, Ill., grew up around the railroad. The present site was determined during the 1850s by the Illinois and Wisconsin Land Company, a group of land speculators engaged in building a railroad from Chicago to Janesville, Wisc. In 1857, when the Chicago, St. Paul and Fond du lac Railroad introduced daily train service between Janesville and Chicago, a subdivision plat was recorded for the "Town of Rand," named for Socrates Rand, one of the first settlers in the area. The CSP & FDL Railroad, which was purchased by the Chicago and North Western in 1859, named its station here “Des Plaines” and in 1869, the name of the subdivision was changed to correspond with the name of the station. Since those early days, and thanks to its fine railroad transportation opportunities, the city has become a raw materials and finished product distribution center, as well as an efficient commuter hub for those traveling to the Chicago Loop or to the surrounding suburbs. The Union Pacific has played a vital part in these developments.