railroads

A crew of six men had set out and successfully stopped the train running the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul Line on the night of June 12, 1924. Consisting of a well coordinated strategy, some stolen cars and some inside information everything had been going according to plan. Using the railroad staff as labor, the thieves…

This past week the ever-popular Craig Pfannkuche came to our Aspen Drive Library and spoke to us about how to find and use railroad records in our family history research. Here are a few takeaways from his entertaining program:The railroad industry was a HUGE employer, especially of immigrants who might have had no special skill…

Welcome back to part 2 of local history librarians Sonia Schoenfield's and Jenny Barry's presentation about the growth of Libertyville presented to the third grade at Copeland Manor School this past May.Do you ride your bike on the railroad tracks? We do!The 1920s proved to be another time of big population growth for Libertyville. One…

Before the end of the school year, local history librarians Sonia Schoenfield and Jenny Barry were invited to speak to the third grade students at Copeland Manor School. Each spring the third grade completes units on the history of Chicago including the Great Chicago Fire and how transportation impacted the growth of Chicago and the…

 Trains: we love them when they take us quickly to Chicago, we curse them when they halt our progress along Milwaukee Avenue. Once upon a time, however, Libertyville’s first train was cause for major celebration. Back in the 1860s and ʼ70s in Libertyville, local farmers raised sheep and hogs which had to be driven by foot…