CHICAGO & CALUMET DISTRICT

BUS LINES

Northwest Indiana has a complicated bus history. With several bus companies, some of which had earlier been jitney operations, evolving to Shore Line Motor Coach Co. and later Chicago & Calumet District Transit Co. Some of the most complete documentation of the early history, comes from records of the Public Service Commission of Indiana, which would issue a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity for each route.

In 1926, Shore Line Motor Coach Co. was formed as a subsidiary of Midland Utilities, to assume all bus operations from Gary Railways Co., formerly Gary Street Railway Co., outside the city of Gary. Midland Utilities had been formed in 1924 as a holding company, controlling various electric railways and utilities in Indiana.

In 1931, Chicago & Calumet District Transit Co. was formed out of routes previously operated by Shore Line Motor Coach Co., and affiliate Midwest Motor Coach Co.

Indicated are the numbers of each Certificate of Convenience and Necessity issued by the Public Service Commission of Indiana (PSCI).

Indianapolis Blvd. in much of Hammond was previously known as Forsythe Av.

BLUE SAFETY COACH CO.

Routes introduced in 1925 by Blue Safety Coach Co., sold in 1925 to Gary Railways Co., transferred in 1926 to Shore Line Motor Coach Co.

Hammond to Whiting - From Morton St via Willard St-Highland St-Homan St-State St-Calumet Av-150th St-Indianapolis Blvd-Schrage Av-119th St to Indianapolis Blvd (PSCI Certificate 63M)

East Chicago to Hammond - From Michigan Av via Guthrie St-Main St-141st St-Euclid Av-Chicago Av-Indianapolis Blvd to 150th St (PSCI Certificate 64M)

East Chicago to Whiting - From 133rd St via Indianapolis Blvd-Schrage Av-119th St-Indianapolis Blvd to Lake Av/116th St (PSCI Certificate 64M)

TWIN CITY BUS CO.

Routes introduced in 1925 by Twin City Bus Lines, sold in 1929 to Shore Line Motor Coach Co.

East Chicago to Universal Portland Cement Co. - From Guthrie Av via 139th St-Main St-Washington St-Pennsylvania Av to Universal Portland Cement Co plant at Cline Av (PSCI Certificate 81M)

East Chicago to Hammond - From Michigan Av via Guthrie Av-Main St-141st St-Euclid Av-Chicago Av-Indianapolis Blvd-150th St-Calumet Av-Michigan Av-Oakley Av-Plummer Av-Hohman St-State St-Morton Ct-Plummer Av to Oakley Av, also from Guthrie Av via Michigan Av-Kennedy Av-151st St-Indianapolis Blvd-Michigan Av-Oakley Av-Plummer Av-Hohman St-State St-Morton Ct-Plummer Av to Oakley St (PSCI Certificate 82M)

East Chicago to Cudahay Packing Co. - From Indianapolis Blvd via Chicago Av-Parrish Av-Gary Av-Cline Av to Cudahay Packing Co (PSCI Certificate 83M)

East Chicago to Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. - From 139th St via Main St-Guthrie Av-Michigan Av-Dickie Pl-Riley Rd to Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co (PSCI Certificate 84M)

East Chicago to Cudahay Packing Co. - From 135th St via Main St-139th St-Guthrie St-Cline Av to Cudahay Packing Co (PSCI Certificate 85M)

JOHN E. MALOY

Routes introduced in 1925 by John E. Maloy, sold in 1926 to Shore Line Motor Coach Co.

Hammond to Inland Steel Co. - From Calumet Av via Conkey Av-Hohman St-State St-Calumet Av-150th St-Indianapolis Blvd-Riley Rd-Dickie Pl-Watling St to Inland Steel Co plant, return Watling St-Guthrie St-Main St-141st St-Euclid Av-Chicago Av-Indianapolis Blvd-150th St-Calumet Av-State St-Hohman St-Conkey Av to Calumet Av (PSCI Certificate 140M)

Hammond to Ford Motor Co. - From Calumet Av via Conkey Av-Hohman St-Gostlin St then to Ford Plant at 124th/Torrence Av (PSCI Certificate 141M)

Hammond to Whiting - From Calumet Av via Conkey Av-Hohman St-State St-Calumet Av-150th St-Indianapolis Blvd-Schrage Av-119th St to Indianapolis Blvd (PSCI Certificate 142M)

SHELBY PETERSON

Route introduced in 1925 by Shelby Peterson, sold in 1929 to Shore Line Motor Coach Co.

Hammond to East Chicago - From Columbia Av via Morton Av-Calumet Av-150th St-Indianapolis Blvd-Chicago Av-Euclid Av-142nd St-Main St-Guthrie Av to Michigan Av (PSCI Certificate 174M)

JULIUS WOITUK

Route introduced in 1925 by Julius Woituk, sold in 1925 to Gary Railways Co., transferred in 1926 to Shore Line Motor Coach Co.

East Chicago to Robertsdale - From 133rd St via Forsythe Av-Indianapolis Blvd-Schrage Av-119th St-Indianapolis Blvd to Lake Av/116th St (PSCI Certificate 175M)

FARINA'S BUS LINE & TRANSPORTATION CO.

Route introduced in 1925 by Farina Bus Line & Transportation Co., sold in 1926 to Shore Line Motor Coach Co.

Hammond to Lansing - From CI&LRy tracks via Sibley St-Hohman St-Ridge Rd to Lansing IL (PSCI Certificate 223M)

SCHAPPI BUS LINE

Route introduced in 1925 by Schappi Bus Line, sold in 1925 to Twin City Bus Lines, sold in 1929 to Shore Line Motor Coach Co.

Hammond to General American Tank Car Corp. - From Calumet Av via Kenwood Av-Hohman St-State St-Calumet Av-150th St-Indianapolis Blvd-151st St-Kennedy Av-Chicago Av-Euclid Av to General American Tank Car Corp plant (PSCI Certificate 326M)

GARY STREET RAILWAY CO.

Routes introduced in 1925 by Gary Street Railway Co., reorganized 1925 as Gary Railways Co., transferred in 1926 to Shore Line Motor Coach Co.

East Chicago to Whiting - From Guthrie St via Michigan Av-Dickey Pl-Standard Av-Front St-119th St to Indianapolis Blvd (PSCI Certificate 328M)

Hammond to Crown Point/Schererville - From Hohman St via Sibley St-Calumet Av-Standard Av-Hohman St-Ridge Rd-Jackson Hwy/Griffith Rd-Joliet St to Main St (Crown Point), branch via Jackson Hwy-Lincoln Hwy to Schererville (PSCI Certificate 344M)

Hammond to State Line - From CI&LRy tracks via Sibley St-State Line St to 154th St (PSCI Certificate 345M)

Hammond (Hessville) to General American Tank Car Corp. - From 173rd St via Kennedy Av-151st St-Todd Av-Chicago Av-Euclid Av to General American Tank Car Corp plant, return Euclid Av-Chicago Av-Kennedy Av to 173rd St (PSCI Certificate 364M/acquired from Joseph Artim)

Hammond-Hessville/Summer St. - From 173rd St via Kennedy Av-Summer St-Columbia Av-Sibley St to Oakley Av (PSCI Certificate 365M/acquired from Joseph Artim)

Hammond to East Chicago - From Gary Rys Station, 108 Sibley St, via Sibley St-Columbia Av-Summer St-Hump Rd-Clay Sy-Indianapolis Blvd-148th St-Magoun Av-Chicago Av to Indianapolis Blvd, return Indianapolis Blvd-Clay St-Hump Rd-Summer St-Columbia Av-Sibley St (PSCI Certificate 515M)

East Chicago to Christhurst College - From Guthrie St via Michigan Av-Grand Av-142nd St-Euclid Av-148th St-Melville Av-151st St-Northcote Av-148th St to Christhurst College, then Hoffman St-Northcote Av-Chicago Av to Indianapolis Blvd, return Indianapolis Blvd-145th St-Baring Av-142nd St-Forsythe Av-Riley Rd-Dickie Pl-Michigan Av to Guthrie St (PSCI Certificate 516M)

Hammond-Hessville/169th St. - From Gary Rys Depot via Sibley St-Columbia Av-169th St to Cline Av (PSCI Certificate 517M)

Hammond-Hessville/173rd St. - From Gary Rys Depot via Sibley St-Columbia Av-173rd St.-Kennedy Av to Summer St (PSCI Certificate 518M)

East Chicago to Cudahay Packing Co. - From Indianapolis Blvd via Chicago Av-Parrish Av-Gary Av-Cline Av to Cudahay Packing Co (PSCI Certificate 586M)

MIDWEST MOTOR COACH CO.

Route introduced in 1921 by Midwest Motor Coach Co., sold in 1931 to Chicago & Calumet District Transit Co.

Gary to Chicago - From alley in rear of 462 Broadway (Gary) va 4th Av-Industrial Hwy-Cline Av-Guthrie St-Watling St-Dickey Pl-Standard Av-Front St-119th St-Indianapolis Blvd to Chicago (PSCI Certificate 555M)

SHORE LINE MOTOR COACH CO.

Additional routes introduced in 1928 and 1930.

Gary to Chicago - From 17 E 5th Av (Gary) via 5th Av-Industrial Hwy-Cline Av-140th St-Main St (or via Guthrie Av)-Guthrie Av-Michigan Av-Dikey Pl-Standard Av-Front St-119th St-Indianapolis Blvd to 63rd & South Park (PSCI Certificate 793M)

East Chicago/141st St. - From Chicago Av via Indianapolis Blvd-141st St-Euclid Av-137th St/Broadway to Cedar St/Main St (PSCI Certificate 794M)

A special thanks goes to Chicago bus historian Andre Kristopans, for supplying information from a book of Public Service Commission of Indiana (PSCI) orders pertaining to Chicago & Calumet District Transit Co.'s acquisition of its bus routes.

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