Beware Bad Sources

Everyone makes mistakes when writing books or magazine articles. Whether from typos, bad sources or confusion, history is recorded and repeated imperfectly. But books published by a well-regarded employee of a newspaper can compound mistakes. 

The late-Jerry Klein was well-regarded. I have no reason to believe otherwise. He died August 21 at age 90 after a 49-year career with the Peoria Journal Star which began in 1953. When I began daily reading (er, skimming) the newspaper c. 1986, I well remember his movie critiques and generally concurred with those opinion articles he submitted after retirement. 

But I wish he (or others who may have assisted him) had done more research on the Rock Island Railroad's Peoria-Chicago rail passenger service. His book, Peoria!, published in 1985, contains the following about this service on Page 162,

Its final sad journey came on May 29, 1978.

Actually, the last scheduled Rock Island passenger between Peoria and Chicago ran on December 31, 1978. I know where the "May 29" date originated. The Interstate Commerce Commission ruled in January 1978 that both the Peoria and Quad Cities trains could end on this date. But three cities and the Illinois Department of Transportation appealed the ICC's ruling after which the federal agency issued a stay and set a 180-day period for review. Then on October 20 the ICC ruled that the trains could be dropped with 30 days' notice (November 18-19). At the last minute, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers asked for another stay, which the ICC granted. The Peoria Journal Star reported December 29 that the trains would be dropped January 11, 1979. Instead, they were abruptly halted after the last roundtrips on New Year's Eve. Each train's locomotive and two cars deadheaded back to Chicago the on New Year's Day. 

It appears someone found the May 29 train off date while looking through newspaper archives and failed to check if the event actually happened. The train ran through year's end, and a book celebrating Peoria history has committed an error repeated in the Peoria Journal Star not once but several times in subsequent years. I've found at least five, and I believe there were many more. 

Amtrak Service Depends on Private Investors, September 25, 1991, B-8

'93 Budget May Fund New Train Service, January 21, 1993, Cover

Peoria Rail Proponent Tracking Down Backing, June 12, 1993, A-10

Train's Impact Likely to Reach Peoria, Advocates Say, July 18, 1993, A-12

Amtrak Axes Two Cities, June 14, 1996, Cover

The erroneous date was repeated in a 1995 book, Peoria - Memories of 150 Years. In fact, it compounded the problem,

The first train rolled into Peoria in November 1854, and ushered in Peoria's romance with the rail. THe city was a regional hub for many years. At the peak, fifteen railroads and over 70,000 miles of track served the transportation needs of the bustling community. The Rock Island Depot was constructed at what is now 32 Liberty Street in 1891. The Rock Island Line ended its 123-year history with Peoria when passenger service to Chicago was discontinued May 29, 1978. Depot ownership was transferred to the City of Peoria. The depot housed the Community Workshop and Training Center wuntil the building was purchased, restored and opened as the River Station restaurant in 1981. The building was placed on the National Registor of Historic Placed as the Rock Island Depot & Freight House December 22, 1978.

The Rock Island depot at 32 Liberty Street opened March 31, 1900. The ad below appeared in the Peoria Journal Transcript. 

I'm unsure how those who researched this book came up with the 1891 date. In fact, the Rock Island's prior depot was in use from 1866 to 1892. CRI&P trains then began using P&PU's Union Depot for and several years passed before plans for a new depot were announced. Construction began in 1899. Unfortunately, the erroneous 1891 date has been oft repeated in the Peoria Journal Star. Among them,

Depot's Demise - Early Symbol of Riverfront Revival Closes Saturday Night, Sept. 10, 2000, A-1

Protect Rock Island Depot With Historic Designation, January 28, 2001, A-4

Bella Vista to Open at River Station site, May 31, 2001, B-1

Preserving Peoria, March 8, 2009, F-3

From Railroad to Restaurant, July 4, 2009, A-9

Luciano: We Live Off Our Music, September 24, 2009, C-1

Will Peoria Catch The Next Train? June 13, 2010, A-21

This is most unfortunate. So if anyone is looking for accurate dates, let's summarize:

- The Rock Island's Peoria-Chicago passenger service made its final roundtrip on December 31, 1978.

- The Rock Island's Liberty Street depot opened on March 31, 1900. 

- David P. Jordan