A 1925 photo reveals the earliest days of Chicago's Union Station
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An aerial view looking south on the Chicago River towards Union Station as horse-drawn carriages travel east. A small tugboat tows barges of freight cargo north on the Chicago River. Photo: Library of Congress/Interim Archives/Getty Images
In honor of Union Station's 100th anniversary this month, our History Mystery offers a unique perspective on the iconic train station.
Flashback: The Beaux-Arts building was part of Daniel Burnham's plan for the city.
- Burnham wanted to replace the old Union Station (built in 1881) because he deemed it too small, too congested and not grand enough to represent the growing metropolis.
- The new terminal took 10 years to build.
- The building was called "America's finest railroad terminal" when it opened in 1925
- Burnam wasn't around to see it. He died in 1912.
Zoom in: The view from this postcard is east of the Chicago River, high atop a building overlooking the Monroe Street Bridge.
- You see horse-drawn carriages on the bridge, but you can also see automobiles near Union Station, before the Adams Street Bridge was constructed in 1927.
Today, the view is entirely blocked by buildings on the west side of the river, but if you scoot south towards the Adam Street bridge, you can get a glimpse of what was captured in the photo.
The intrigue: The Amtrak-owned station is the third-busiest train hub in the country, serving almost 40 million passengers annually.
Dig in: Union Station celebrated its 100th anniversary this month by dedicating a new art exhibit inside the station.