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Re Yorkville request http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=788166 (gives a better perspective of track side and end of the building) https://littlewhiteschoolmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/1870-1889.pdf ("News items from the Kendall County Record, 1870-1889."; You can search this pdf for "Burlington" and you will find 22 hits.
Oswego and Yorkville are mentioned, along with the Ottawa, Oswego & Fox River Valley Railroad (Fox River Branch Railroad) which was completed January 15, 1871 between Geneva and Streator, IL. The line was placed on a perpetual lease by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (Perpetual lease Aug 20, 1870-) and was then merged into the CB&Q on May 20, 1899. The Ottawa, Oswego & Fox River Valley Railroad (Fox River Branch Railroad) built the Fox River branch of the Burlington between Geneva and Streator on the east side of the Fox River. The line that we know as the Fox River branch ran from a junction just south of Aurora, near Montgomery, to Oswego, Yorkville, and Streator, where large supplies of coal were located. The railroad was an important artery connecting the coal mines in north-central Illinois with northern Illinois. At the time the railroad was chartered, there was no direct connection to the Chicago markets from Streator.
This line was originally chartered in 1852, in Newark, IL, to build a railroad from Ottawa north to Elgin, and from Ottawa south to Bloomington and beyond, but remained inactive until the end of the Civil War. In 1866, local farmers were seeking less expensive transportation means for grain shipments, while others were seeking less costly alternatives to access the coal mines in Ottawa. The line was built in two sections: a northern section (Geneva-Aurora, 9.5 miles) and a southern section (Montgomery-Streator-Winona, 57.5 miles). The southern section between Montgomery and Streator was built first, and then the "extension" between Aurora and Geneva on the west side of the Fox River was built at a later date.
Around 1867, the railroad built a 12 mile extension from Streator to a connection with the Illinois Central at Wenona (or Winona)*. This trackage was later purchased by the St. Louis, Jacksonville & Chicago, which became part of the Alton Railroad.
* Wenona appears to be on the original mainline of the Illinois Central that went north from Cairo, Illinois, at the southern tip of the state, to Mendota, Galena and Dunleith, IL on the Mississippi River opposite Dubuque, IA, Mendota was a major junction point between the Burlington, the iC and later the Milwaukee Road.
In April 1869, the company was authorized to finance the line with bonds sold by municipalities along the route. Residents of Oswego voted to buy a half interest in the new line, while other towns along the line raised a similar amount. The line was built in two parts: the main line running from Montgomery (Aurora) to Streator, and a second line running from Aurora to Geneva. Although the Ottawa, Oswego & Fox River Valley signed a construction contract with Oliver Young, who then assigned the contract to C.H. Force & Co, who in turn contracted for the actual construction with James F. Joy of the CB&Q. Joy agreed to have the CB&Q build the road, and then lease the line in perpetuity. Construction began immediately, and the line became operational in 1870, with the entire line being opened for business on January 15, 1871. In 1871, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy gained control of the line. Eventually, the line was extended to tap the coal mines in Streator, IL. Poors Manual of 1903 indicates the line began in Geneva, rather than Aurora.
In 1907 the track from West Batavia to Geneva was abandoned. Then the section from North Aurora (north of I-88) to West Batavia was pulled up in the late 70s. Within the last ten years the Burlington's bridge over I-88 was removed for new entrance and exit ramps. (this line ran on the west side of the Fox River).(from Burlington Route Historical Society).
1. "Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad company Documentary history" by W.W. Baldwin, http://www.archive.org/details/chicagoburlingto01baldx 3. https://littlewhiteschoolmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/1870-1889.pdf (construction history) 4. http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924030125623/cu31924030125623_djvu.txt 5. http://www.abandonedrails.com/North_Aurora_to_Geneva 7. http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2015/03/cb-ottawa-oswego-fox-river-valley-rr.html
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