Interurban Trolley--Frankfort

History:

The Joliet & Southern Traction Company, a sister company to the Aurora, Plainfield & Joliet Railroad Company, operated rail service east from Joliet beginning in 1905. The line ran east, parallel to the Michigan Central Railroad tracks, and connected the southern communities of Joliet, New Lenox, Frankfort, and Matteson before ending in Chicago Heights. The first interurban cars to run on these tracks were architecturally little more than long streetcars, but in later years had a unique arch-shaped roof and windows, which became a traditional interurban styling. 

These picture postcards show the interurban trolley running past the Folkers Hotel, an interurban station in Frankfort. Notice the conductor helping travelers load their luggage in the bottom photograph. By the early 1920s, automobiles and the paving of the Lincoln Highway made Aurora-Joliet-Chicago Heights interurban service unnecessary. 

Time Frame/Image Credit:

These postcards are from the divided-back era: 1907-1914, and are part of collection of Robert Horras of Princeton.

We Need Your Help:

David Belden is a history teacher at Minooka Community High School and is currently publishing local postcard books with Arcadia Publishing in his Local History classes, including Grundy County, Joliet, Will County and Princeton.  He and his students are currently looking for I&M photos and postcards for a new publication. If you are interested in contributing a postcard image, please email him at: dbelden@mchs.net or localhistory@mchs.net call 815-467-2140 x260. To view more postcards and images, visit www.localhistoryproject.org or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/localhistory