678
HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
places the whole process in the hands of the Township Highway Commissioners, with provision for appeal from their rulings, and provides for carrying a specific percentage tax for the construction of the roads and bridges. Under the statutes, however, option is granted to townships as to this change; and some of those in which but few and small bridges are needed, and consequently little need for ca=;h expenditures exists, prefer to remain under the old system. The necessity for delivering milk daily and promptly at the factories and shipping stations, imperatively required a radical improvement of the highways, and fortunately nearly every road district in the county has banks of excellent gravel, with which it is possible to construct the very best road-beds. The very general-even though brief-popularity of the bicycle greatly stimulated the improvement of the roads, and the more recent introduction of the automobile will strongly tend in the same direction. Every one of the "old State roads"-a designation once very significant but now almost obsolete-which means nearly all the main thoroughfares running northwesterly from the river towns, are well drained and heavily piked with gravel, as also are very many of the cross roads. The principal highways of every township are now in fine condition-rain or shine, in summer or in winter- and it is very doubtful if there is a county in the State with better roads than Kane.
RAILWAYS.-The first railway train to enter *he county came over the spur-track, which branched from the track of the old Galena & Chicago Union Railroad line about three miles northwest of Turner Junction, now West Chicago. It rolled proudly up to the depot at St. Charles on December 12, 1S49-a memorable day in the annals of the county. The railway station was some forty or more rods southeasterly of the present elegant high school building, and a part of the old engine house near it still remains. This track was soon after extended to Geneva, and the old long building east of Bennett's large flouring-mill served as the depot, and freight-house. Prom its platform Stephen A. Douglas addressed a large assemblage of people from all parts of the county in the early 'fifties. The operation of these lines ceased about 1857. In February, 1850, a train of the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad first reached Elgin. (The careful reader will note that Galena was the important point and Chicago secondary.) It was a gala day, observed with appropriate public exercises. About two years was required to accumulate sufficient financial strength for its extension, and during that time Elgin remained the busy, hustling western terminal.
The "Aurora Branch Railroad" was built in 1850-51, from Turner Junction, via Batavia, to Aurora, and after consolidation with ether similar corporations, finally became a part of the great Chicago, Burlington & Quincy System, and in 1855 was extended to the Mississippi River. Soon after the direct line to Chicago was constructed and opened for traffic.
The "Dixon Air-Line" Division of the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad was constructed through Geneva in 1853, and in that year work was commenced on the "Fox River Valley Railroad," connecting Elgin with Geneva Lake, Wis., in order to reach the pine lumber region. This enterprise moved very slowly. As a bit of road-bed was graded, it was covered with widely separated ties upon which wooden stringers were placed, instead of the "T rail" of today, and a flat bar of iron spiked to these stringers, called "strap-rail," was the temporary and dangerous bearing prepared for the wheels to roll upon. The ends of these strap-rails, becoming loosened, would occasionally be caught upon the upper side of a rolling wheel and come crashing up through the car-floor. They were called "Snake-heads," and were a terror to the few passengers on the line; although by reason of the slow movement of the trains not many serious accidents occurred. These were the pioneer roads; wood was the fuel used, and the earlier coaches consisted of a single apartment with no retiring rooms whatever'. Yet these trains were considered marvels of comfort and speed. Now the lines of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy pass through the townships and towns of Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, Sugar Grove and Big Rock and the village of Montgomery. The Iowa Division of the Chicago & North-Western passes through the townships and towns of Geneva, Batavia, Aurora, St. Charles, Blackberry, Kaneville and Virgil, and the stations of LaFox, Elburn and Maple Park; the Chicago Great Western through the townships and towns of St. Charles, Campton and Virgil, and the stations of Wasco, Lily Lake and Richardson; the Illinois Central runs through the townships of St. Charles, Elgin, Plato and Burlington, and the villages
