West Lake Forest Train Station: The Milwaukee Road Comes to Town

Getting Here Timeline
West Lake Forest Train Station: The Milwaukee Road Comes to Town

Bridge spanning the Chicago, St. Paul and Milwaukee tracks on the J. Ogden Armour estate, Mellody Farm, connecting the driveway off Waukegan Road with the estate complex.

Brochure cover, c. 1873.

Brochure cover, c. 1873.

1885 map of Deerfield Township with Lancaster Station circled.

1885 map of Deerfield Township with Lancaster Station circled.

In 1872, the construction of the Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad began through Lake County. The railroad's initial tracks had been built in Wisconsin between Milwaukee and Waukesha in 1851 and soon continued to expand throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota. The line to Chicago was completed in 1873 and the name was changed to the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company.
A train stop was put in where the tracks crossed Telegraph Road (now Waukegan Road). James Lancaster owned this property, and his house doubled as the first depot, so it soon became known as Lancaster station. By 1887, the Lancaster post office was established here as well.
Shortly after the Lancaster post office opened, some thought it advisable to change the name: there was another Lancaster in Illinois, one in Wisconsin, and one in Indiana, leading to confusion. As the story goes, local resident Tom Doyle renamed the post office (and the station) “Everett” after the son of Marsh, the general ticket agent for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad. The name was officially changed in July, 1892.
The first train depot here on the Chicago, St. Paul & Milwaukee line was built in 1886, and located south of Everett Road. Above, we see the depot in the 1910s, and below in the 1965.
The new Telegraph Road station opened in 1992 and was constructed with funds from Lake Forest's first Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district.