History And Legacy: The Stock Yard Line

By 1920, more than 50,000 rural Southern blacks had settled in the Grand Boulevard area, which became the hub of "Bronzeville". The rail line originally built to provide freight access to the Stock Yards evolved to serve as the primary daily transportation for thousands of African American workers commuting from Bronzeville. Elevated for safety and traffic reduction in 1903, it began operations as the Kenwood "L" Line in 1907 and remained a lifeline for the community until the branch closed on November 30, 1957, due to the decentralization of the meat packing industry.