I have a question that I thought someone here might find interesting, even though it's not technically commuter/transit. I work in elections, and yesterday, we had a voter who said he lived in Dolton. Our records showed him in South Holland. We allowed him to vote "provisionally," which allows us to research things and potentially withdraw the vote from the totals later if facts point that way. The election is not even close, so this is not going to determine anything. But I like to get things right. And, it's possible his property tax has been going to the wrong village.
So anyway, the Conrail question - his house is on a former Conrail right of way (ex-Pennsy, ex-Panhandle, ex-Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis, if I understand correctly.) We show a South Holland annexation in 1932. But they annexed a giant parcel, maybe a quarter square mile. I'm guessing that South Holland de-annexed the railroad, since it wasn't subject to their property tax so they got nothing out of it. And that Dolton annexed it, sometime around the abandonment, at the point when it seemed like it could be developed. And that neither village remembered to send the de/re-annexation notices to the county.
I'm wondering if anyone knows when the Panhandle route was abandoned along the Dolton/South Holland border. And if anyone actually knows more about the history of the property in that area (Greenwood north of 154th), big bonus. Or if anyone can just tell me more about the history of rail abandonment and annexation in this area. That may not answer my question, but I'm curious how these things played out.
It's a freak property - looks to me like someone subdivided it in about 1997. The house in question shows up as 19 years old on the Assessor's webpage. It's the only subdivision for at least a mile or so in either direction, squat in the middle of what might otherwise serve as a decent greenway / bike path.
Thanks in advance. If someone believes there is a better spot for this post, let me know. Apologies in advance because I cross-posted in the Conrail forum, but the odds that.
So anyway, the Conrail question - his house is on a former Conrail right of way (ex-Pennsy, ex-Panhandle, ex-Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis, if I understand correctly.) We show a South Holland annexation in 1932. But they annexed a giant parcel, maybe a quarter square mile. I'm guessing that South Holland de-annexed the railroad, since it wasn't subject to their property tax so they got nothing out of it. And that Dolton annexed it, sometime around the abandonment, at the point when it seemed like it could be developed. And that neither village remembered to send the de/re-annexation notices to the county.
I'm wondering if anyone knows when the Panhandle route was abandoned along the Dolton/South Holland border. And if anyone actually knows more about the history of the property in that area (Greenwood north of 154th), big bonus. Or if anyone can just tell me more about the history of rail abandonment and annexation in this area. That may not answer my question, but I'm curious how these things played out.
It's a freak property - looks to me like someone subdivided it in about 1997. The house in question shows up as 19 years old on the Assessor's webpage. It's the only subdivision for at least a mile or so in either direction, squat in the middle of what might otherwise serve as a decent greenway / bike path.
Thanks in advance. If someone believes there is a better spot for this post, let me know. Apologies in advance because I cross-posted in the Conrail forum, but the odds that.