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Check out our new exhibit on the Burlington Route’s 175th Anniversary and see behind the scenes of our upcoming exhibit all about the land that is now West Chicago 2025 marks the 175th Anniversary of the Burlington Route's first train trip. When Junction, now West Chicago, was established in 1849 by western expansion of railroads heading towards the Mississippi River from Chicago, trainlines met here. The Galena & Chicago Union Railroad crossed the new St. Charles Branch Railroad in 1849. And by 1850 demand for more rail lines was ever growing. Batavia and Aurora residents were involved in the building of a different railroad, the Aurora Branch. This line (which eventually became the Burlington) laid tracks from the West Chicago area to Batavia and then Aurora in 1850 and would become the Burlington, now the BNSF, one of the largest railroads in the world.
From it’s local beginning to the international company, the Burlington Route played a big role in the development of our community. Although we no longer have the tracks through downtown West Chicago, our built environment still reflects that important railroad. One piece of history that still remains from the Burlington Route days is our 1860s CB&Q depot.
As we kick off the anniversary year and open our Birth of the Burlington exhibit on the second floor, while planning for our new “Land” exhibit on the first floor of the City Museum, we ask you to join us on Sunday, February 23rd from 2-4pm. Stop in and view the new exhibit, and see our work in progress as we research and put together the upcoming “Land” exhibit which will open in May exploring all the changes our landscapes have undergone over the past 300 years as part of the upcoming America 250 Commemoration.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
132 Main St, West Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60185
