The Chicago and Atlantic Railway, later the Chicago and Erie Railroad, was a

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

which existed from 1871 to 1941, and was an important connection between the

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

metropolitan area and

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

.Camp, Mark J. ''Railroad Depots of West Central Ohio.'' Mount Pleasant, S.C.: Arcadia Publishing, 2006. The railway was formed in 1871 as the Chicago, Continental and Baltimore Railway, and renamed to the Chicago and Atlantic Railway in 1873. The western terminus was in the Chicago suburb of

Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. Located along Lake Michigan, it is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the Li ...

, while the eastern terminus was at

Marion, Ohio Marion is a city in Marion County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus. The population was 35,999 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down slig ...

. The road suffered financial difficulties (particularly after a collision in 1887 outside Kouts, Indiana, which killed 10 people), and went through several internal reorganizations and name changes. It went through

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

in 1890, and emerged as the Chicago and Erie Railroad with John G. McCullough as its president.Hill, Edwin Charles. ''The Historical Register.'' New York: E.C. Hill, 1921. In 1895, the road was purchased by the

Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Northeastern United States, originally connecting Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey, with Lake Erie at Dunkirk, New York. The railroad expanded west to Chicago following its 1865 ...

, but retained its name and identity until it was consolidated in 1941.

Notes

External links

"Erie Railroad Company Records: An Inventory of Its Records." Florence Library. Syracuse University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chicago Atlantic Railway Defunct Ohio railroads Defunct Illinois railroads Defunct Indiana railroads Predecessors of the Erie Railroad Railway companies established in 1873 Railway companies disestablished in 1890