Wood (1800W/2100S)
Wood Street and 21st Street, Lower West Side

Service Notes:

Douglas Line

Quick Facts:

Address: 2009 S. Wood Street
Established: August 7, 1896
Original Line: Metropolitan West Side Elevated, Douglas Park branch
Previous Names: none
Skip-Stop Type: "Partial Service" station
Rebuilt: n/a
Status: Demolished

History:

The Douglas branch of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad was originally planned to extend to 46th (Kenton) Avenue in its original stretch. This, however, opened incrementally. The branch was only open as far as 18th Street on April 28, 1896 (long after the other Met branches were in service) and Wood was activated August 7, when the branch was extended as far as Western. Further extension to 40th Avenue (Crawford, later Pulaski) wasn't complete until 1902. Kenton wasn't reached until 1907.

Wood station resembled many of those on the Douglas Park branch, with a largely rectangular building with a bay extending approximately five feet in front of the building and another only about two feet from the rear leading to the platform stairs. The one-story headhouse situated beneath the elevated tracks employed an unusual vernacular form with influences from the Craftsman and even Prairie School styles. The exterior walls were clad in dark red/brown brick with a rusticated stone base lined the bottom of the wall at ground level, while the corners had stone quoins. The Craftsman influences came through in the wide overhanging eaves with exposed rafters and the battered half-timbered "X" treatment over the front entrance.

Most likely, the interior was an open space with a ticket agent's booth built into one corner of the room. The floors were wooden and the walls were probably plaster with decorative wood moldings and chair rail paneling.

The stations' dual side platforms had canopies and railings typical of all Met stations: Designed into the railings were larger cast iron square plates with a stylized diamond design. Each platform had a short canopy in the center of the platform, covering the stairs and a small waiting area. The canopy frame was iron, with arched latticed supports and bracketed rafters, and hipped roofs of corrugated tin.

As part of the plan to economize, streamline and speed up service on the Douglas branch, the CTA proposed in mid-1951 to close 20 stations and institute A/B skip-stop service. After consultation with city transit engineers and local elected officials, the CTA modified their plan to retain a few of the stations proposed for closure, although with limited service. On December 9, 1951, the CTA revised Douglas service with the inauguration of A/B skip-stop service, the closure of five stations, and the conversion of three more to unmanned "partial service" stations -- Roosevelt, Wood, and Douglas Park. The "partial service" stations were unmanned, with no ticket agent on duty at any time, and entrance only through token-operated turnstiles. Trains stopped at "partial service" stations approximately every 15 minutes during Monday-Friday rush periods and about every 30 minutes at other times. Trains serving these stations did not stop at California, 18th and Polk.

Beginning May 3, 1952, concurrent with the closure of the Roosevelt and Douglas Park "partial service" stations, service to Wood was provided during rush hours by certain "B" trains that also make all regular "B" stops. Trains serving Wood station were identified by trains carrying special signs on their front chains that read "THIS TRAIN SERVES WOOD STREET STATION".

Wood station was closed on May 19, 1957, the victim of low ridership and vandalism to the station facility. The decision to close the Wood station was prompted by a study which disclosed that an average of only 12 people per hour used this facility on a typical weekday, which CTA deemed was not enough to justify its being continued in service. A walkway was opened at ground level under the elevated structure from Damen Avenue (two blocks west of Wood Street) to Hoyne station to compensate for Wood's closure.