The State/Lake Outer Loop elevated station, looking south on State Street on April 8, 2004. The center section with the peaked roof is the old section of the station; the other Plexiglas and wood curtain walls were added later. Note the Chicago Theater in the background. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

State/Lake (1E-1W/200N)
State Street and Lake Street, Loop

Service Notes:

Green Line: Lake-Ashland-East 63rd

Brown Line: Ravenswood

Orange Line: Midway

Purple Line: Evanston Express

Pink Line: 54/Cermak-Loop

Transfer Station (Transfer to Red Line subways by farecard only)

 

Quick Facts:

Address: 200 N. State Street
Established: September 22, 1895
Original Line: Lake Street Elevated/Union Elevated Railroad
Previous Names: none

Skip-Stop Type:

Station
Rebuilt: n/a
Status: In Use

History:

State/Lake outer (north, westbound) platform. The wall that the man is leaning on and the outer wall with the windows were once two walls of an enclosed waiting area, removed by 1913. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Bruce G. Moffat)
Though the exact alignment of the Loop was debated and changed several times, the use of Lake Street as the north leg was never seriously questioned. This suited the Lake Street Elevated just fine, making their connection to the Loop all the more simple. On December 28, 1894, LeGrand W, Pierce, president of the Yerkes-backed Union Elevated Railroad, and Lake Street Elevated president Delancey H. Louderback reached an agreement. The Union Elevated funded the cost of five of the seven block north leg from Market to Wabash, but ownership would stay with the Lake Street to pacify some property owners who still feared the presence of a Union Loop.

By late summer, 1895, the Lake Street extension was constructed to Wabash Avenue with stations at Fifth Avenue (later called Wells Street), Clark Street, and State Street. No station was built at the end of the line at Wabash because it was known that the east leg of the Loop would need to be able to connect there. The Lake Street Elevated began service over this extension September 22, 1895. The full quadrangle of the Loop, and thus its usage by the other "L" companies, did not materialize until 1897. This represents a unique place in history for the State/Lake station and the rest of the north leg, a s it predates the rest of the Loop by several years.

All four legs of the Loop employed a different, unique style for its station houses and the Lake Street leg was no exception. They were originally quite small and incorporated elements from many styles, including some Classical Revival elements and features reminiscent of a Chinese pagoda. By 1913, many of the Loop stations underwent a number of renovations and unfortunately, State/Lake was one of them. (This general rehab of the "L" also resulted in the construction of a new Randolph/Wells station.) The original trackside waiting rooms were removed and new open booths were installed. Left intact, however, were much of the roofs, all platform canopies, posts, railings and many other features.

A 4000-series train, probably on the Lake Street route, is stopped at State & Lake on its way to Forest Park, looking west in the mid-1950s. Excerpt for newer advertisements, signs, and lights, this scene looks nearly identical today. For a larger view, click here. (Photo from the CTA Collection)
In 1958, with the opening of the new Congress Line and the inauguration of West-Northwest service, "L"-to-subway transfers were revised. Free transfers between Randolph/Wells and Lake Transfer and between State/Lake and Washington/State were discontinued. The "up" (subway-to-"L") transfer between Lake Transfer and Clark/Lake was maintained, but a new "down" only between State/Van Buren and Jackson-Van Buren/Dearborn was initiated, as well as an "up" and "down" transfer between State/Van Buren and Jackson-Van Buren/State. The free transfers between State/Van Buren, Jackson-Van Buren/Dearborn and Jackson-Van Buren/State were discontinued in 1969 when the Dan Ryan Line opened and West-South service was inaugurated. At this time, free transfers between State/Lake and Washington/State were reinstated. Because there is no physical connection between the paid areas of these stations, riders had to exit the elevated station after having their transfer stamped by a machine and enter the Washington/State subway at the Lake-Randolph mezzanine, presenting their stamped transfer.

The first escalator at an elevated station was installed at State/Lake in December, 1966. Surrounded by a Plexiglas and aluminum enclosure, fluorescent lights and infrared heaters, the device was initially declared a success and a second was installed at State/Van Buren. So important was its installation considered that Mayor Richard J. Daley and CTA® Board Chairman George L. DeMent both attended the opening ceremonies. Later, most new "L" stations include escalators. Ultimately, however, State/Lake's were removed in 1990 and replaced with a set of stairs.

The facade of State/Lake was "modernized" with the installation of a curtain wall in 1968.

Christmas shoppers try out a covered escalator at State and Lake Station. The moving stairs opened Dec. 23, 1966.
State/Lake is the last of the Lake Street Loop stations to survive, albeit in a somewhat altered form. The Wells/Lake station was demolished only a few years after its construction. Since it was later decided to use Wells Street as the west leg of the Loop, the south station house and platform had to be removed in 1896 for the connection and those on the north side of the tracks were removed in 1899 to make way for the Northwestern Elevated's connection to the Loop from the north. The Clark/Lake station was demolished and rebuilt by the CTA® in 1990. This leaves only State/Lake remaining. Today, the outer shell of the State/Lake station houses remain, but they have fallen into a state of disrepair and, in fact, have been gutted with even the trackside exterior walls removed, which is unfortunate considering the new State Street renovation and its proximity to the Chicago Theater and the new theater district. The station does, however, still have its old ornate railings and canopy in fair condition, as well as the exterior of the outer station.

In 1993, the CTA® installed special turnstiles at State/Lake and at the Lake-Randolph mezzanine of Washington/State that dispensed transfers. Passengers transferring between the stations received a transfer upon leaving through the special turnstile and presented it to the station agent at the other station. In 1997, a new machine was installed in the paid area at State/Lake that issued free "L"-to-subway transfers, removing from service the special transfer-issuing turnstiles. On June 22, 1997, electronic transit card vending machines were activated at all Loop stations. Later that summer, the transit card AVMs were activated at all Red Line stations and shortly thereafter, transfers were granted between the Loop and the Red Line subway by using transit cards only, which did not deduct the 30 cent transfer when used.

 

Plans for Renovation and Consolidation

On September 11, 1998, the CTA® announced that they plan to permanently close the State/Lake and Madison/Wabash elevated stations and replace the Randolph/Wabash facility with a "super station." Supposedly combining function, aesthetics and the need to replace "L" structures that date to the 1890s, the $29 million project would result in more streamlined CTA® operations, according to officials.

The new station, sporting main entrances and transit card turnstiles on Randolph, Wabash and Washington and a full-length covering to protect commuters from the elements, would become the third-busiest station in the CTA's® 142-station system and will include a pedway connection to the Red Line subway one block away, according to officials. The design of the new station, which was undergoing final review by officials from the city, the CTA® and the Greater State Street Council at the end of the 1990s, was described as a traditional, but modernized version of the Madison/Wabash station. As part of the construction work, the entire elevated structure was to be rebuilt from Lake to Washington Streets and the supports down the middle of Wabash were to be replaced by columns anchored along the curbs.

By the early 2000s, the City had revised these plans and decided not to consolidate all three stations -- State/Lake, Randolph/Wabash, and Madison/Wabash -- into one. Rather, Randolph and Madison would be consolidated into a new Washington/Wabash station, while a new independent State/Lake station would be built, located slightly to the east between State and Wabash so that large station structures would not block the vista up and down State Street. By the mid-2000s, the City's plans for this station were under development. Construction was not expected until some time later in the decade.

The loss of these stations represent a significant loss to the history and beauty of the "L". State/Lake is the last remaining example of 1895 Loop architecture from the State Street Leg, despite it disfigured condition. The station still sports its original decorative railings and canopies, among other remnants.

The State/Lake elevated station, looking west on the Outer Loop platform on August 22, 2004. The station's original 1895 canopies, as well as the original decorative railing (beneath the canopies) are still in place, allowing this station keep much of its character. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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A Lake "A" train of 4000s stops at State & Lake while heading westbound on the Inner Loop circa the 1950s. At this time, the Loop was operated uni-directionally (counterclockwise) with Evanston Express and (usually) Ravenswood trains on the Outer Loop and Lake, Garfield, and Douglas trains on the Inner Loop. (Collection of Joe Testagrose)

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State/Lake station is seen looking north on State Street in during the Christmas season of 1967, with the holiday decorations on the street lights and stations. The escalator to the station behind the State-Lake Theater marque was installed earlier that year and Marina City, towering in the background, had been completed three years previous. The bus in the left foreground is on one of two Joliet-Chicago routes of the West Suburban Transit Lines, a descendent of an interurban railway. (Photo by Miles Beitler)

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A midday 2-car Lake-Dan Ryan All-Stop is led by car 2237, pulling into State & Lake on July 4, 1971. (Photo by Joe Testagrose)

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Car 2249 leads a Lake-Dan Ryan All-Stop at State & Lake on July 4, 1971. Note the rather plain white metal sign below the agent's window that simply reads "State & Lake": these signs, which predated the CTA's symbol signs, were common on Loop station platforms. (Photo by Joe Testagrose)

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Car 2029, in the Spirit of Chicago paint scheme, leads a Lake-Dan Ryan "A" train at State/Lake on August 30, 1982. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)

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By 1982, the vast majority of 2400-series cars were assigned to the Lake-Dan Ryan Line. This practice is once again the case today with the Green Line. Car 2485 leads a Lake-Dan Ryan "A" train, looking east at State/Lake on August 30, 1982. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)

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State/Lake station's platforms, looking west on the Inner Loop in 1999. The canopies covered the original station platform, which could berth only 2-3 car trains. The photo shows just how much the platforms have been extended, far enough that 8-car trains can now fully berth. (Photo from the CTA Collection)

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The platforms at State/Lake, looking west on the Inner Loop in 1999. The station serves as a indirect transfer to the Red Line subway, with riders having to leave the paid area to enter the subway station at Lake. The sign on the far right was erected to let riders know they could transfer, but was eventually taken down as it was nonstandard. (Photo from the CTA Collection)

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The Inner Loop station house at State/Lake, looking southeast in 1999. The track-level station house is fully integrated into the platform, blurring the line between the two. The Chicago Theater is in the background. (Photo from the CTA Collection)

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An Orange Line train, trailed by car 3304, stops at State/Lake in this view looking east on September 10, 2000. (Photo by Ernie Baudler)

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State/Lake at Christmas time!! The Inner Loop station house is all dressed up for the holidays, looking north in 2000. This was the station used for the exterior shots in the film While You Were Sleeping. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The intersection under the State/Lake station was filled with emergency vehicles during the aftermath of a June 19, 2003 incident in which a women fell of the Outer Loop platform in front of a berthing Brown Line train. Service on the Lake leg of the Loop was suspended for four hours in the height of rush hour. This view looks northeast just after officers removed the barricade around the site, life in the Loop was just getting back to normal. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The decorations of the holiday season are seen at State/Lake on December 18, 2003, with reindeer, ribbon, and Christmas lights on the station, as well as colored globes on the stairway kiosk of the Lake-Randolph subway station. The State Street Council sponsors most of the decorations on State Street during the holidays. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The State/Lake platforms are seen looking east from the Inner Loop platform on August 12, 2006. The pink stripe on the column was added less than two months before when the Pink Line service was inaugurated. (Photo by Jamaal Thomas)

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A KDR-type symbol sign from the State/Lake Inner Loop station, with its blue background denoting its status as an AB or All-Stop station. The KDR symbol signs on the Loop were different in that they simply spelled out the entire station name at the top rather than using a large first letter of the station name (the "symbol", so to speak) with the name below that. They also denoted whether the station was on the Inner or Outer Loop. (Sign from the Andrew Stiffler Collection)