189 – Interurban Railroad Monument
All Aboard!
Well this certainly had more of a story than I realized.
WLW hinted at it, and CJ Summers filled us in with the rest. (I thank you both)
It’s a mural painted by Mariam Graff on a piling of the old Illinois Traction System drawbridge. It’s called the Interurban Railroad Monument. She also did the Le Vieux Carre Mardi Gras Mural and the Born Paint mural. She’s actually best known for painting portraits of dogs — she’s even done a portrait of Kirk Douglas’s (the actor) dog.
[...] the Illinois Traction System was an electric railroad (it used catenary for power) that went to several destinations in central Illinois, plus St. Louis, Missouri. You can see a map of the extent of the system here.
This mural is located on Water Street near Kellehers, if you weren’t sure.
September 30th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Concrete slab at Kellehers parking lot.
September 30th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
I know where this is, but what I’m really interested in is the history of it.
September 30th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
I have no idea where it is, but those look like the old Chicago-Auora and Elgin Line cars.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Illinoisrailwaymuseum308.jpg
Car #320 is owned my The Midwest Old Threshers Reunion.
My grandfather use to ride it a lot, sadly the line died in the mid 50’s with the building of the Eisenhower turnpike and the car culture that followed.
October 1st, 2007 at 1:04 pm
I believe it’s painted on a piling from the old Franklin St bridge. That’s really all I know about it.
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:00 am
I have know idea where it is but is that an authentic hobo beating stick in front of it.
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:23 pm
I know this one. I have a friend named Scott Kramer who is a big Illinois Traction fan and I’ve heard him talk about this mural many times.
It’s a mural painted by Mariam Graff on a piling of the old Illinois Traction System drawbridge. It’s called the Interurban Railroad Monument. She also did the Le Vieux Carre Mardi Gras Mural and the Born Paint mural. She’s actually best known for painting portraits of dogs — she’s even done a portrait of Kirk Douglas’s (the actor) dog.
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:31 pm
While I’m waiting for my last comment to be moderated, I would add that the Illinois Traction System was an electric railroad (it used catenary for power) that went to several destinations in central Illinois, plus St. Louis, Missouri. You can see a map of the extent of the system here.