Photograph by Williamsville Boxcar Museum The tracks seen above were the Interurban tracks in Williamsville, Illinois.
Photograph by Flickriver Williamsville's building haven't changed, but the Interurban rails have been removed.
Photograph by Williamsville Boxcar Museum The Interurban went through downtown Williamsville.
Photograph by Williamsville Boxcar Museum The tracks seen above were the Interurban tracks in Williamsville, Illinois.
Special thanks to Valerie Patterson and Jean Forness for providing us information and for making this website possible.
For our English class, we decided to do research on our local history. We chose the Interurban because it isn't known by many people, when in fact, it played such a significant role in our ancestors' lives. The Interurban brought electricity to our town and provided transportation among many communities nearby. Cars weren't as prevalent as they are today, so having a system that is similar to the subway, allowed people to go from place to place. We want to provide the readers with information about the Interurban. We hope you enjoy.
-Mariah Dowell and Abby Clayton
Special Note: To avoid confusion with citations, our in text citation of "Patterson" references our personal interview with Valerie Patterson, while the "The Illinois Terminal" references the sign that Valerie Patterson made.
History of williamsville
Settlement in Williamsville, Illinois occurred in the year 1853. A gentleman, known as Abraham V. Flagg began selling land in the town on September 14, 1853. Soon enough, the Chicago & Alton Railroad station was set up in 1854 and it would be originally what provided transportation before the Interurban ("Williamsville History"). Most Interurbans ran alongside the Chicago & Alton Railroad, but the Interurban provided a more popular choice for residents ("The Electric Railroad: A Legend in Illinois Transportation").
The Interurban was an electric railroad transportation system, which ran through residential streets of many towns and cities in central and southern Illinois. Valerie Patterson, a Williamsville historian, described the Interurban system to be similar to Chicago's current metro system. Conductors would have to be wary of pedestrians and others during this time. However, the Interurban not only traveled in communities, but also traveled through the countryside. It was also known as the Illinois Terminal Railroad Company (ITC) and the Illinois Traction System (ITS), but most commonly the Interurban (Zyznieuski). In general, the Interurban was used from the 1900s to the 1930s, which connected small towns in Illinois and across the United States to more populated towns and cities. The Interurban boarded passengers more often than the regular railroads and was nearly half the price as well. ("The Electric Interurban in Illinois").
Photograph by Sangamon County History
A 1908 map showing the route of the Interurban.