Bloomington's C&A Shops: Our Lives Remembered

From the Civil War era into the early 20th century, the largest local employer was the Chicago & Alton Railroad, which operated a sprawling repair shops and rail yard complex on Bloomington’s west side. The first Pullman car was built there in 1859, and a few years later the first commercial dining car was built there. This book contains the recollections of 24 McLean County residents who talk about the impact of the Chicago & Alton Railroad Shops on their lives and the local community.