West Chicago’s story begins with the arrival of the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad (G&CU) in 1849. Once an open prairie where Native Americans traveled through as hunting and camping grounds, then dotted with a few European immigrant settlers who had arrived in the late 1830s. Farming communities were growing throughout DuPage County with an easy pace of life. Then came the railroad, and with it, the spark that ignited the birth of our community.

West Chicago is proud to hold a unique place in Illinois history as the first community created by the arrival of railroads.

The Railroad Comes to Town

C&NW Work Train as pictured in Turner (West Chicago)

In 1848, the G&CU began its ambitious project: laying tracks westward from Chicago with the goal of reaching Galena. By November 1849, the tracks reached what is now West Chicago and continued northwest to Elgin. This bypass of Fox River towns like Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles didn’t sit well with their residents. They understood what the railroads meant—economic opportunity and connection to the broader world—and they didn’t want to be left behind.

The solution? They built their own railroads to meet the G&CU. By the end of 1850, the junction of three railroads—the G&CU, the St. Charles Branch Railroad, and the Aurora Branch Railroad (which would become the Burlington Route)—created a bustling hub at present-day West Chicago.

As trains began stopping at this new junction, the G&CU built water and fuel stations for locomotives, along with an eating house and hotel for weary travelers. What started as a track crossing point quickly grew into a community, appropriately first named Junction, Illinois.

Building a Town

One of the key figures in Junction’s early days was John B. Turner, the president of the G&CU. Turner saw the potential of the growing community and, in 1855, recorded the first official plat of the area, calling it the Town of Junction. He wasn’t just a Chicago businessman—he gave back to the town, donating land for a Congregational church and a school.

Not long after, in 1857, Dr. Joseph McConnell platted the northern part of the area and named it the Town of Turner, honoring Turner’s contributions. The two plats combined to give the community its nickname, Turner Junction.

Life in the growing community was centered around the trains and the workers coming to look for economic opportunities. Railroad facilities dominated the landscape, and John Lakey, superintendent of the G&CU shops, later recalled that the town consisted of little more than a store, a post office and grocery, and a blacksmith shop for repairing rails. Most residents were farmers or railroad employees, some arriving to Turner from New York and other recently arrived European immigrants.

Growth and Incorporation

The arrival of the railroad wasn’t just a fleeting event—it transformed the area. By the late 1860s, the Chicago & North Western Railroad (the G&CU’s successor) had expanded its facilities, building a substantial brick depot and roundhouse. Churches sprang up, and the community began to flourish.

Trains running next to the West Chicago Roundhouse (1864-1953)

By 1873, the town’s population had grown to 850, and its residents decided to incorporate as the Village of Turner. Lucius B. Church became the first village board president, and the foundation of today’s West Chicago was firmly laid.

A Legacy of Connection

The story of West Chicago is a testament to the transformative power of railroads in the 19th century. What began as a railroad junction became a thriving village and eventually a city, all thanks to the vision and determination of its early residents.

Come visit the museum to learn more about this fascinating chapter in Illinois history and see how railroads shaped not just our town, but the lives of the people who built it.