The Interurban ran through Peoria, Bloomington, Champaign, Danville, Sherman, Williamsville, Riverton, Chatham, Springfield, and St. Louis (Cravens 160).
Location
Cost
In 1925, it would cost about 17 cents to 25 cents for a one way (Cravens 160). In today's time, this would translate to about $2.30 to $3.39 dollars for a one way ticket on the Interurban.
Back in the Day
The Interurban first began providing service on December 14th, 1906 (Jenkins). When buggies and horses were a way to travel, people would drop off their buggies and horses at a stable, and use the Interurban to travel to different places. It would be used for going from town to town, to hang with friends, to go shopping for groceries and clothes, and to do other types of activities that Williamsville did not provide (Cravens 160). The Interurban would travel at around 35 to 40 miles per hour to get the passengers where they needed to be at a relatively fast rate. In Willliamsville, the Interurban would stop around five times a day which allowed the passengers to conveniently find a time to get on the railway (Cravens 160). The Interurban made many stops, but mostly relied on the passengers to signal when a stop was necessary. When a passenger wanted to get off they would wave a flag to send a signal to the conductor. Any colored flag or cloth could be used except red. The use of a red flag would signal that an immediate stop was needed due to some sort of an emergency situation ("The Interurban Railway). The train tracks would run through the center of towns which required the conductors to closely watch for any objects in their way. This could include people walking in the streets, other vehicles, and even animals. The Interurban was at its peak in the 1910s and had over 550 miles of tracks used to transport passengers (Zyznieuski). Other than bringing fast and affordable transportation to those in rural areas, the Interurban also brought electricity. The Interurban was an electrical railway, thus it required electricity to be in areas where it travelled. About 60 homes in Williamsville experienced electricity in their house for the first time on April 5th, 1914, thanks to the Interurban. By 1916, Williamsville saw electrical street lights throughout the town as well ("Illinois Terminal System").
Merchants
The Interurban was also used by Williamsville merchants for merchandise and other types of equipment needed to run their business (Cravens 160). The Interurban would carry lighter freight to these merchants, but did not carry the heavy freight like the regular railroad system did (Patterson). Some examples of the freight would include "milk, produce, eggs, coal, and mail" (qtd. in Bettendorf).
Photograph by Williamsville Boxcar Museum
A ticket for the Interurban.
Employment
The Interurban provided employment for Williamsville civilians through the train system itself or in other communities. The Interurban needed a Stationmaster, a conductor, and workers to build the transportation system. Civilians could also use the Interurban to travel to places, such as Springfield, where they could hold a job that was unavailable in Williamsville. The Interurban opened new gateways for Williamsville, as it expanded the employment to other places (Patterson).
The Interurban Depot
The depot "was located at 128 North Pine Street" and was utilized as the Interurban's depot and the home of the Stationmaster (qtd. in "The Illinois Terminal"). The Stationmaster was the one who maintained the Interurban tracks for a certain distances to prevent wrecks. Many men viewed working for the Interurban as a more enjoyable and easier job over the railroad, since it carried much lighter material (Patterson). John E. Clure was the Stationmaster in Williamsville until 1937. After John left the position, his son Jacob, took over the role. The depot would lose its original purpose in the following years ("The Illinois Terminal"). As the depot, it provided a place for civilians to wait and a place to purchase tickets (Patterson).
Stories
While the Interurban could be used for long travels, many older folks can recall taking this train for small trips into town as well. It was not unlikely for a group of friends to board the Interurban to have a day in the city. Julie Jeffers recalls leaving on the Interurban early in the morning so her and her friends could "travel to Peoria to shop at Bergner's and other downtown stores. After a day of shopping, we headed back in the afternoon." (qtd. in Zyznieuski). Donald Kirby can remember when his basketball team won their county tournament in 1945, and they were rewarded by travelling on the Interurban to watch the state tournament in Champaign. Kirby can also recall taking the Interurban to see a movie at a theatre in the city and leaving on the midnight train to head back home. He had nothing but good things to say about the Interurban system and says "I loved riding on the Interurban" (qtd in Zyznieuski). Many college students that needed to travel to the Springfield, Bloomington, or Peoria areas for school also used the Interurban to get to their universities for class. When the Illinois State Fair rolled around in the summer time, many families living in rural areas used the Interurban to attend the fair and enjoy the festivities ("Illinois Terminal System"). Without the Interurban many activities would not have been possible for rural citizens in the early 1900s.
Photograph by Willliamsville Boxcar Museum
An interurban car in downtown Williamsville, Illinois.
Photograph by Williamsville Boxcar Museum
The Williamsville Interurban depot was used by the Stationmaster and Passengers.
World War II
The Interurban was slowly beginning to lose passengers during the 1930s era due to the Great Depression and the increased use of automobiles. Luckily for the Interurban, the number of passengers began to rise slightly during World War II. During this time, tires and gas for automobiles were scarce and many people resorted back to riding on the Interurban railways. ("The Interurban Railway"). Those rails also allowed men to leave Williamsville and travel to Peoria through the Interurban to be prepared for the war (Cravens 160).
Photograph by Williamsville Boxcar Museum
A map of the Interurban running through Williamsville.
Final Days
Once World War II ended, the Interurban lost the success it once had. The use of cars, better roads, and new efficient railroads increased, making the Interurban useless. The last trip of the Interuban was in June of 1955 ("The Electric Railroad: A Legend in Illinois Transportation"). Although the Interurban is no longer an active transportation system, it left a very important mark in history. The Interurban connected many small and rural towns together, brought electricity to the towns, provided employment to local citizens, shipped goods, and was a new form of fast and affordable transportation. While it is hard to understand a world without modern automobiles, the Interurban was very important during the early 1900s to people living in rural communities (Patterson). Without the Interurban, life for those in Williamsville, and areas throughout Illinois, would be much different.