E) Coming of the Railroad

The historic trails which ran diagonally across the county were replaced by a network of north-south and east-west roads along section lines, the exception being the Danville-Bloomington-Peoria trail. Chicago became the market town for the county, supplanting Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Saint Louis. From the day of the opening of the railroad from West Urbana to Chicago, in July, 1855, Champaign County looked to the north. (79)

"Historical Geography of Champaign County, Illinois" (1957)
Marjorie Corrine Smith

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