Door to Door - 24 East Chicago



Chase Bank, Downtown Elgin Branch - 24 East Chicago Street

The Downtown Elgin Chase Bank Branch. It was formerly, if I'm not mistaken, The Elgin National Bank. It was across the street from the First National Bank of Elgin, and through the various bank mergers over the last couple of decades, the two became one under Chase. It has large drive-through facility in back.

Door to Door - 12 East Chicago Street

Just to the east of the river and Riverside Drive is the drive-up facility to the downtown branch of Chase Bank. The building to which it is attached a rear addition to the building. The bank itself faces the corner of East Chicago Street and North Grove Avenue.

Although the door has a separate address, it is occupied by the bank.

Door to Door - 0 Line (Chicago Street Bridge and The Fox River)

The Chicago Street Bridge, West-0-East

The Fox River marks the zero-line between east and west in Elgin's numbering system.  The Chicago Street Bridge, in it's current incarnation, was built in 1939.  Until the Highland Avenue Bridge was built, it was the only span across the river in the center of the city.

It was originally part of the designated Illinois State Highway 5, which ran from East Dubuque, Illinois to Chicago. It eventually became part of US Highway 20.  After the US 20 Bypass was built in the 1960s, it was part of US Business Route Highway 20 and Illinois Route 58. After a while, BR20 was decommissioned and Route 58 termination was changed to IL Rte 25 (Liberty Street) instead of IL Rte 31 (State Street).

As a result, the only highway designation through downtown Elgin today is north and south Route 31.

The bridge contains abutments along the sidewalk jutting out over the water, providing good views up and down the river, and good places to toss a few stones or throw a fishing line.


Unfortunately, they also provide opportunities for people to toss litter into the river below.

View looking south from the Chicago Street Bridge, with the Grand Victoria Riverboat downriver.

View north from the Chicago Street Bridge, with the Highland Avenue Bridge and the Hemmens Cultural Center  upriver.

Door to Door - 100 W Chicago

Elgin Pace Bus Terminal, 100 West Chicago Street

Opened in 1985, the Elgin Bus Terminal serves The Regional Transportation Authority's Pace Suburbans Bus service.

Straddling along the west bank of the Fox River, it was designed with sharp angles and a narrow building.

It contains four bus lanes which send buses all over Elgin and to other suburban points, principally Aurora, Streamwood, Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg/Woodfield.

It is across the street from the Chicago Street Train Station, making for convenient transportation connections.

Althought the address is on Chicago Street, it also fronts Highland Avenue on the other side. With Chicago being one way eastbound and Highland one way westbound, the buses enter and exit from both sides. Most eastside buses exit on Chicago Street, most westside buses on Highland Avenue.

The passing trains on the railroad tracks immediately alongside the terminal can be big hindrance to bus traffic, but the convenience of the terminal directly across the street from the train station create in important transportation center for the city.

Until 2010, it also hosted Greyhound Bus service, which provided the only direct inter-city transportation outside of the Metra commuter rail across the street.

The waiting room inside is deceptively larger than the building would indicate outside. The seating and decor are very spartan, but the windows provide a sweeping view of the river and downtown Elgin. The skylights and high ceiling provide a bright and airy indoor waiting area out of the weather, which cloak the otherwise potentially dingy environment.

Door to Door - 109 W Chicago

Gettin' Around!

Elgin Chicago Street Railroad Station - 109 West Chicago Street

This is one of the four main components to getting around and in and out of town without an automobile (the others are the two other railroad stations at National Street and Big Timber Road, and the bus terminal across the street).

Amtrak does not provide service, and the previous passenger rail service ended years ago, but it remains busy with Metra service to Chicago.

The current station opened in 1947. It was rather spartan. The original waiting room had old-style hard upright wooden benches that were commonly used. Those were removed several years ago, and the room was sadly turned into a storage area. A look through the windows shows pile of papers and junk.

The ticket window was moved to the back end of the building, without seating inside. An enclosed seating area sit across the tracks, although it is usually dirty and can be a haven for some undesirable people at times.

Train arriving from Chicago.

There are two main tracks with three platforms. There is a rail yard immediately behind the station since Elgin is currently the end of the Milwaukee District West Line route (the name coming from the old Chicago Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway and the Milwaukee Road commuter service that was provided before the Regional Transportation Authority and Metra took it over).

The CP Rail System, if I'm not mistaken, still own the tracks. Freight trains also frequently come through. The route goes all the way out to the Mississippi River.

Being smack in the center of town, the train traffic consistently gums up auto traffic, made worse if a train is coming through the upper Union Pacific tracks right up the hill.

Looking north from the station.

There have been talks about extending the passenger service out to Huntley and Rockford, but that is still an idea that hasn't come close to fruition. There was also talk of starting a new Amtrak route through to Iowa and possibly South Dakota. There was been a debate over whether this route or a route further south would be better suited.

If either or both ever happened, it would be a huge asset to Elgin.

From Wikipedia: In 1849, the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad reached Elgin, which later would be served by railroads running along both banks of the Fox River, linking the growing town to Chicago and other urban centers.^[3] Early Elgin achieved fame for the butter and dairy goods it sold to the city of Chicago. Gail Borden established a condensed milk factory here in 1866, and the local library is named in his honor. The dairy industry became less important with the arrival of the Elgin Watch Company. The watch factory employed three generations of Elginites from the late 19th to the mid 20th century, when it was the largest producer of fine watches in the United States (the factory ceased production in the early 1960s and was torn down in 1965). Today, the clocks at Chicago's Union Station still bear the Elgin name.^[4]

Door to Door - 110 W Chicago

Paul's Bus Stop, 110 West Chicago Street

Situated right in between the railroad tracks and the Pace Bus Terminal, directly across the street from the train station, this narrow little convenience store has been servicing public transit riders for years.  It becomes a flurry of activity when all the busses come in, all at roughly the same time.  Then it just as suddenly gets quiet.  The people behind the counter know how to ring people out fast because everyone that goes in here is subject to the timetables of transit.

For a brief period, Paul opened a small convenience grocery across the street (in the aforement braiding salon), but it didn't last too long.  However, this little 7-11 style business continues to thrive.

Door to Door - 113-117 W Chicago

Cannella School of Hair Design, 113-117 West Chicago Street

This beauty school has been here for a long time. It has an excellent reputation and a thorough curriculum, and is accredited. They teach more than hair - nearly all aspects of cosmetology.  It doesn't look like much from the outside, but it is part of a chain of schools, and many people working here in town have graduated from here.

This building also straddles the railroad tracks, right next to the station.  I can't imagine the noise the people in the apartments above out up with.  I can't readily locate any history of the two buildings, but they've been connected inside.

Door to Door - 118 W Chicago

Eaton's Redwood Inn, 118 West Chicago Street

There is so much that can be said about Eaton's Redwood Inn.  It feels like it has been there forever.  It is that kind of basic "sit at the bar and drink" kind of place, the sort of place you get Pabst Blue Ribbon in mason jars.  It is so old world, you'd think you had entered a time warp, except it isn't legal to smoke indoors in Illinois anymore.  The walls rattle when the trains go by on tracks next to it.

It still opens at 6:00am.  That is hardcore.  This place is hardcore.  I'm not sure if it's still the case, but it used to be the only place in town to get your hands on packaged beer before 10:00am.

It is practically at the corner of the turnaround on State Street (Rte 31) and Chicago.  It was originally a grocery market, and went through a few owners.  At one time, during Downtown Elgin's lowest point, it was not a nice corner to be.  Prostitutes, drugs, weapons and fights.  It was there.  It's a miracle no one ever walked out of the place and been smacked by a train (at least to my knowledge).

It's a much better area, and a better place, but it is still as basic as it gets.

Door to Door - 119 W Chicago

The Braiding House, 119 West Chicago Street

Why it says "The Braiding Place" on the sign, I don't know.  I'm not in the market for braiding.  It's been there for a couple of years, so it must be doing okay.  At one time, it was a small grocery that didn't cut it, which is odd since it was right next to the train station.  I don't recall what was there before that.  I could probably go to the library and find out, maybe someday when I have the time.