Galesburg: Rails of history, wheels of progress
Founded in 1837 by Rev. George Washington Gale and a group of anti-slavery advocates, Galesburg, Illinois, would grow into a major railroad town. The city’s history has been inextricably tied to the railroad industry, but when the settlement was founded in 1836, it was meant to provide a community to support a manual labor college and a school for ministers. The railroad was not yet part of the vision.
However, it didn’t take long for citizens to realize the benefits that the railroad could provide. As a stop on the railway, Galesburg would be connected to other markets to sell goods and receive the supplies residents needed. The Santa Fe Railway originally planned to bypass Galesburg to the southeast in an attempt to build the straightest line possible between Kansas City and Chicago, but the townspeople solicited legislation to bring the railroad to Galesburg.
Galesburg became a key railroad center not long after the first train passed through in December 1854. The first railroad in Galesburg was one of our predecessors, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q or Burlington Route).
“Galesburg has historic ties to the railroad dating back to 1854 when the CB&Q first arrived and forever changed the economic landscape of the city,” Pam Gaither, executive director of the Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce, said. “Galesburg was also a major junction for the CB&Q as it was the point where many branch lines crossed the Chicago-Denver main line.”
Today, BNSF is still a major employer in Galesburg. It has been designated as the home of the National Railroad Hall of Fame, which honors the men and women of American railroading with inductions into its hall of fame every year. Galesburg also has a non-profit railroad museum that encourages the research and discovery of the railroad industry. Each summer they host Railroad Days, a festival celebrating Galesburg’s rich railroading legacy.
It is said in this city of 30,000 that if you don’t work for the railroad, you’re related to someone who does.
“Besides being a major hub in Illinois, BNSF is the largest employer with over 1,000 employees,” Natalie Clark, executive assistant at the chamber of commerce said. “This helps our local small businesses, hospitals, insurance companies, grocery stores, restaurants, and everything in between, to thrive.”
Galesburg also features the second-largest hump yard, also known as a classification yard, in our network. In a hump yard, gravity is used to sort train cars. Cars are pushed up an artificial hill in the middle of the yard and uncoupled at the top. They roll down by themselves onto preselected track to join other rail cars to form a new train.
Galesburg is also home to a BNSF Certified Site, the Galesburg Business Park, a rail-served industrial development on 350 acres. BNSF certification ensures that a site is ready for rapid development.
Tim Worrell, assistant superintendent of the Galesburg Terminal, oversees the safety and efficiency of the operations. Worrell is the fifth generation of railroaders in his family to work in Galesburg.
“I take a lot of pride in being part of generations that worked out of Galesburg,” he said. “We provide services that allow our country to continue to operate and flourish. I’ve been very fortunate with the opportunity to travel and see different parts of the company throughout my career. The best part about BNSF is its people. I work with so many diverse groups to come together and solve problems in new creative ways.”
Galesburg and BNSF have deeply intertwined histories. While Galesburg relies on the railroad to flourish, BNSF is deeply benefited by Galesburg.
“We’re so thankful for BNSF and the hard work they do in our community. We appreciate their collaboration as a chamber member and look forward to many more opportunities to celebrate their successes,” Clark and Gaither said.
