Hi all, It's easy to forget that southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois were the home of an astonishing network of streetcars and interurban railroads from the 1890's up to 1963. There was The Milwaukee Electric Railroad and Light company (which I think may be the forerunner of Wisconsin Electric), the Bluff City Electric Railway Company in Waukegan, the Milwaukee-Racine-Kenosha Interurban, the Chicago- Kenosha-Milwaukee Electric Railroad, and lots of others that variously were merged, bankrupted and in other ways eventually combined to form the Northshore Railroad. There were also some that went east-west railroads as part of the network. It's easy to see how someone could get married anywhere on these train lines. Much to my surprise there actually were two Northshore rail lines at one time,. One was called the Chicago-Northshore-Milwaukee East Line and it went through downtown Waukegan. It was removed long ago. The other was called the Chicago-Northshore-Milwaukee West Line and it survived till the early 1960's. There's a couple of good books on them. "Northshore Line Memories" by George V Campbell, 1980, Quality Books Inc, Northbrook, Illinois and "North Shore, America's Fastest Interurban" by William D Middleton, 1964, Golden West Books, Marino, CA. I posted a map of the interurban railroad lines in downtown Waukegan at http://www.clsurf.com/fay/NorthshoreFrame1Source1.htm You couldn't go far without running into one. Not to get off the subject too far, for those interested in John McCaffrey and the abolition of capital punishment in Wisconsin there is an extensive collection of newspaper and other accounts at http://www.clsurf.com/fay/McCaffreyFrame1Source1.htm Also, there is a "start" to a collection of Increase Lapham's 1850 detailed survey drawings of the Indian Mounds in Wisconsin at the time at http://www.clsurf.com/fay/Indian%20MoundsFrame1Source1.htm They are large, detailed and slow to download. We're also trying to get a mail list just dedicated to the Indian Mounds and cultures started. Bob Fay On 24 Oct 2001, at 6:05 Lafe Nelson <WIMILWAU-L@rootsweb.com> wrote: > The old North Shore Line runs about 2 blocks from my home. It is now > used by the electric Co. for hi voltage transmission lines. A lot of the > overpasses on the line have been blown up or dismantled. > > Lafe > > Robert W Fay wrote: > > > > On 23 Oct 2001, at 15:15 JQMagie@aol.com <WIMILWAU-L@rootsweb.com> > > wrote: > > > PS: no big deal-- but yesterday at least FIVE WiMilwau > > > postings, > > > including TWO of yours, Ashley, misspelled the word "marriages." > > > Webmaster Bob Fay not only repeated this "grievous" mistake-- but he > > > also appears to say (see below) that the old ten-story Waukegan > > > hotel that I can generally can see clearly (along with the tall > > > chimneys of the ComEd's Plant to the northeast) from the Lake > > > Michigan shoreline just north of Evanston's Northwestern campus was > > > VACANT. > > > > Actually, what I am saying here is that the old ten story Waukegan > > Hotel is vacant, as in not occupied by hotel guests, businesses, or > > apartments dwellers, nor has it been for a long time. I had the > > pleasure to tour the building with the owner last summer. If you look > > carefully, you will notice that there is an 80 foot antenna on the > > roof of the building and the building's current usage is for > > broadcasting. There is no one normally in the building. > > > > Then he > > > apparently says in the next sentence that this hotel no longer > > > exists. > > > Seems you can't have it both ways. But maybe what Bob MEANT > > > was that > > > the RR next to the hotel (not the hotel itself) had disappeared. > > > But, if so, Bob would here seem to be contradicting his 1/15/01 > > > "Railroad" posting that I had archived (see excerpt below). > > > > Actually, what I am saying is that the railroad line that used to run > > in front of the Waukegan Hotel has been torn out. There used to be an > > interurban line and there used to be the North Shore Railroad, both of > > which are history and it must have been one of those. Its not the CNW > > or Milwaukee Road lines of the 1/15/01 posts....obviously those still > > exist. > > > > > Illinois people must still must still go to "evil" Wisconsin > > > and > > > Indiana to buy fireworks. > > > > Don't think you'll be very successful buying them in Wisconsin > > anymore. > > > > And, when I was a kid, WI dairy interests > > > successfully block the instate WI selling of margarine that did not > > > have the color of white lard. > > > > Actually, when I was a kid we would periodically make trips down to > > the state line to buy that "evil" yellow colored Illinois margarine. > > > > > Everyday, I try to get in a two to three mile fast walk along > > > Lake > > > Michigan-- and today hopefully the visibility will be good enough so > > > that I can see whether that old ten story Waukegan building has > > > disappeared or not. Also, if I can see the FirstStar Bank building > > > in downtown Milwaukee, I'll have fresh evidence that the earth is > > > actually flat-- not round, as is now often assumed. > > > > It's only flat in Illinois, John! > > > > Have fun, > > Bob > > > > ============================== > > Ancestry.com--Your #1 Source for Family History Online--FREE for 14 > > Days http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=702&sourceid=1238 > > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=702&sourceid=1237 > >

Just to add my 2 cents worth: If it weren't for the North Shore RR, I wouldn't be here. That is to say, my Dad and Mom dated using the North Shore RR between where he lived (Chicago) and she lived (Milwaukee) because at that time (1930) to drive to Milwaukee was to take 4 tires in the back seat and plan on changing tires two or three times en route...so needless to Say, the North Shore was the preferable way to make the trip. ellen.barr@barrnetwork.com

Is there anyone on the list that lives in or near Brookfield, WI? I have a Golden Wedding Anniversary invitation (with wedding picture) for Mr. & Mrs. John Okruhlica 1916-1966. I'm wondering if there might still be family by this name living there. Peggy

I don't recall seeing an answer to this question. I found the following in the online white pages: David F Okruhlica 270 N 113th St Milwaukee, WI 53226 Mary Popovich Phoenix, AZ

Thank-you, Mary. I'll check with him, too! Regards, Peggy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Popovich" <busia@mindspring.com> To: <WIMILWAU-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, November 03, 2001 12:24 AM Subject: Re: [WiMilwau] Brookfield, WI / Okruhlica Golden Wedding Anniversary 1966 > I don't recall seeing an answer to this question. I found the following in > the online white pages: > > David F Okruhlica > 270 N 113th St > Milwaukee, WI 53226 > > Mary Popovich > Phoenix, AZ > > > ============================== > Search over 1 Billion names at Ancestry.com! > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist1.asp > >