West Chicago could be called the first Illinois community created by railroads, and it remains a railroad city today. Chicago’s first railroad, the Galena & Chicago Union, reached the area in 1849, and nearby towns soon built branches to West Chicago to connect to the mainline. Industry and settlers followed. One of the city’s original names—Junction—reflected this history. A depot built in 1912 still stands, serving as a community center; the current depot with a Victorian design dates from 1990.