a recently dug single granite paver tied to the once grand post-fire wells street station

an original early 20^th century granite paver was added to the urban remains collection this week, as a souvenir of the city’s early infrastructure and as an artifact tied to the wells street station that once operated at the site of the merchandise mart.

the wells street station was a passenger terminal of the chicago and north western railway, located at the southwest corner of wells (formerly fifth) and kinzie. it sat north and east of the river, and several blocks from the railway’s grand central station, recently highlighted in a blog. the wells street station’s first incarnation was during the 19^th century, built by the galena and chicago union railroad - the first railroad in chicago - during the early years of the 1850’s.

in 1865 the company merged with the chicago and north western railway, but soon after the station was destroyed by the infamous fire of 1871. a temporary wooden structure sufficed until 1881, when the station reopened in the same location with more permanent structure.

it was one of six major depots that carried hoards of suburban residents downtown daily. the station featured a large central clock tower rising above the rest of the 5-story structure, which was adjacent to a train shed with 12 tracks, 90 passenger coaches and 12 locomotives, and overlooking the wells street bridge.

into the early 20^th century - in 1911 the terminal was abandoned as the madison street station was placed in service. the wells street station remained for freight, however, and began serving the merchandise mart when it was opened above the railroad in 1930. this represented the most extensive air-rights development of a railway undertaken in chicago. marshall field & co.’s merchandise mart was the largest building (measured by floor area) in the world at its construction. at 18 stories high, it dwarfed the former passenger station, and the railway was engulfed in the building's basement.

alongside being a remnant of early railway movement in the city, the granite paver uncovered on the site is a sign of transport developments made in street renovation. from the 1850's on, the majority of streets were paved with squared granite blocks acquired from european ships and quarried locally. several stonecutter's operations were in fact located just south, at the site of chicago's old grand central station. block paving provided grooved grip for horse and carriage, and functioned better than either concrete or iron. wood pavers were popular as well, and supposedly made for a quieter surface. by the time of the fire, however, the wood-paved streets had gone up in flames, and granite pavers were steadily adopted over wood, especially as forest reserves were depleted. granite blocks were used in high traffic thoroughfares and have often been uncovered as street renovations upend asphalt surfaces and require their removal.