Arlington Heights Historical Museum presentation shows how 3 communities grew up around the railroad
Transit-oriented development is nothing new. As far back as the 1850s, the extension of train lines into what now are the suburbs was spurring commercial and residential development.
A video presentation at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum will examine how three communities — Des Plaines, Mount Prospect and Arlington Heights — grew up around the railroad.
“Railroad Ties” was produced in honor of the nation’s Semiquincentennial by MPTV, the village of Mount Prospect’s government access channel.
The project represents a collaboration among three organizations — the Des Plaines History Center, the Mount Prospect Historical Society and the Arlington Heights Historical Museum.
“It is a program unlike any we have seen in a suburban area, and we are extremely proud to have produced it at this auspicious time in our nation’s history,” said Jean Murphy, president of the Mount Prospect Historical Society.
The story begins in the early 1850s with the original charter of the railroad and runs through the present day.
It will feature many long-lost businesses and attractions and local movers and shakers who played a role in the development of the three communities.
The first tracks were installed in the 1850s, said Emily Dattilo, director of the Mount Prospect Historical Society, and businesses such as Wille Coal and Lumber in Mount Prospect later grew up along the tracks.
The video project, Dattilo said, began on a train.
She and Murphy were riding back to Mount Prospect from Chicago and chatting about how much the train had influenced the development of each town along the line.
The effort subsequently involved Stephanie Lee, curator at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum, and Olivia Cimino, curator at the Des Plaines History Center.
Saturday’s program at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum, 110 W. Fremont St., will feature a representative from each organization giving commentary and answering questions. Seats can be reserved through the museum.
After that, the video will be available to be shown at local club meetings, posted on YouTube and occasionally aired on local access television.
szalusky@dailyherald.com