by TomNelligan
During a visit to Chicago a couple weeks ago, I had a chance to ride the Rock "Suburban Line"/METRA Beverly Branch for the first time since CRI&P days, and I found myself wondering about something I had also wondered about back in that pre-Internet era. Why were so many stations on that line built with agent's living quarters? I can understand the reason for using that design out in Middle Of Nowhere, Iowa, but even in the 19th century that part of Illinois was reasonably civilized and I would have guessed that station agents wouldn't have had a problem finding housing. But as an out-of-towner, I'm only dimly familiar with the early history.