Peoria and Rock Island Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Peoria and Rock Island Railroad was a railroad of 91 miles (146.4 km) in length, located in the U.S. state of Illinois
. It provided service between the two cities listed in its corporate name. Chartered on March 7, 1867, it was built between 1867 and 1871 and first provided passenger service between these two cities on July 8, 1871. The railroad is best known for being the right-of-way for the 26 miles (41.8 km) Rock Island Trail State Park
, a rail trail
conversion.
1860s, a period of substantial railroad development, especially in the victorious Northern states. Although both Peoria, Illinois
and Rock Island, Illinois
are located on navigable waterways and enjoyed substantial freight traffic by steamboat
, there would be no direct water connnection between the Upper Mississippi River
and the Illinois River
until the construction of the Hennepin Canal in 1907. The Peoria and Rock Island, for legal purposes, changed its name to the Rock Island and Peoria Railway in October 1877.
The largest railroad serving Rock Island was the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, a multi-state railroad that soon acquired the smaller Rock Island and Peoria. On June 11, 1903, the former P & RI became a branch line
of the larger transportation company. As a branch line, the P & RI specialized in the transportation of freight from the "Rock Island's" Great Plains service area to Peoria. During the early years of the 20th century, distilleries in Peoria manufactured a significant share of U.S. produced blended whiskey
. Carloads of small grains such as rye
and barley
rumbled southeastward on the former Peoria and Rock Island to the fermentation vats.
The enactment of American Prohibition
in 1919, together with the invention of the mass-produced automobile
, dealt the former Peoria and Rock Island a blow from which it could not recover. The Rock Island railroad began to shut down its Peoria branch line in 1963. While that section of the P & RI that stretches from Peoria north to Toulon, Illinois
became a public trail in 1989, the northern section of the same right-of-way, between Toulon and Rock Island, was liquidated into the hands of adjacent landowners in the private sector.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. It provided service between the two cities listed in its corporate name. Chartered on March 7, 1867, it was built between 1867 and 1871 and first provided passenger service between these two cities on July 8, 1871. The railroad is best known for being the right-of-way for the 26 miles (41.8 km) Rock Island Trail State Park
Rock Island Trail State Park
The Rock Island Trail State Park is a long public rail trail in the west-central region of the U.S. state of Illinois. It was designated a National Recreation Trail in 2003.It passes through portions of Peoria and Stark counties...
, a rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
conversion.
History
The Peoria and Rock Island (P & RI) was built during the post-American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
1860s, a period of substantial railroad development, especially in the victorious Northern states. Although both Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
and Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
are located on navigable waterways and enjoyed substantial freight traffic by steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
, there would be no direct water connnection between the Upper Mississippi River
Upper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River upstream of Cairo, Illinois, United States. From the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, the river flows approximately 2000 kilometers to Cairo, where it is joined by the Ohio River to form the Lower Mississippi...
and the Illinois River
Illinois River
The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the State of Illinois. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of . This river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water route...
until the construction of the Hennepin Canal in 1907. The Peoria and Rock Island, for legal purposes, changed its name to the Rock Island and Peoria Railway in October 1877.
The largest railroad serving Rock Island was the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, a multi-state railroad that soon acquired the smaller Rock Island and Peoria. On June 11, 1903, the former P & RI became a branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
of the larger transportation company. As a branch line, the P & RI specialized in the transportation of freight from the "Rock Island's" Great Plains service area to Peoria. During the early years of the 20th century, distilleries in Peoria manufactured a significant share of U.S. produced blended whiskey
Blended whiskey
A blended whisky is the product of blending different types of whiskies and often also neutral and near-neutral spirits, coloring, and flavorings...
. Carloads of small grains such as rye
Rye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
and barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
rumbled southeastward on the former Peoria and Rock Island to the fermentation vats.
The enactment of American Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
in 1919, together with the invention of the mass-produced automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
, dealt the former Peoria and Rock Island a blow from which it could not recover. The Rock Island railroad began to shut down its Peoria branch line in 1963. While that section of the P & RI that stretches from Peoria north to Toulon, Illinois
Toulon, Illinois
Toulon is a city in Stark County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,400 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Stark County. Toulon is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the northwestern terminus of the Rock Island Trail State Park.-Geography:Toulon...
became a public trail in 1989, the northern section of the same right-of-way, between Toulon and Rock Island, was liquidated into the hands of adjacent landowners in the private sector.