The electric interurban railways appeared around the turn of the last century, initially as carriers to serve rural communities too small or too remote for mainline railroad service. The majority of the interurbans disappeared within thirty years of their inception, victim to overly optimistic projections, inadequate markets, and competition from cars. The South Shore Line has survived as the nation's last interurban, predominantly as a commuter carrier. Many of these original posters are held in the collections of the Chicago Historical Society.
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