Grove street is a small diagonal street that runs southwest from the river, starting east of Canal street, ending at the Illinois Central railroad embankment. Where it terminates there is a disused, semi-blocked off underpass where the street used to connect to the intersection of Archer avenue and Normal street. There are no addresses listed for it, and it only provides access to three large warehouses. Long-disused rails cut through the middle of the street, which continue west along the embankment at the street's terminus.

Detail of Chicago & Alton railroad map, 1885.

Named for John P. Grove, a south-side land developer, the street appears on maps as early as 1849. On the 1849 map, the street only goes from Cermak road northeast to Stewart avenue. By 1862, Grove street had been extended north along the east side of the river to 16th street, and south to Archer around 23rd street. The area surrounding Grove street during the 1880's - 1920's was mostly industrial. Meatpacking houses, lumber yards, factories, and grain elevators lined the street. The Chicago and Alton railroad (now IC) ran along the street at grade level until 1900, when the track was elevated onto an embankment. This configuration was the longest the street was to become, and it remained until the mid-50's, at the latest. At an undetermined point between 1928 and 1957, Grove street was removed from 16th street southwest to its current terminus before the CW&I tracks. Other streets, including 16th, in this area were removed as well, in order to create more space for rail.

This is Grove Street's northern terminus at the Chicago and Western Indiana railroad tracks. The street is essentially a parking lot with a name. The break in the pavement in the left picture is part of a truck scale.

At some point, probably within the last 20 years, the portion of the street west of Canal street became disused. The connection to Archer avenue was blocked off, most likely due to lack of use. The intersection would also be very unsafe without a stop sign on Archer. Less than a mile southwest in Bridgeport, there is another street named Grove which runs along the same tracks, connecting Bonfield, Crowell, and Farrell streets for about a block. This street was not originally called Grove street, but was renamed in a likely attempt to improve continuity.

East of Canal Street, Grove provides access to the Allied Metal Company building before abruptly dead-ending.

Left: The Cuneo Press building

The empty lot in these images is the former site of the Cuneo Press. The large warehouse building in the right image is Nimmons and Fellows' Hoyt building. It lies abandoned.

Facing south towards Archer Avenue.

Obligatory belgian block shots.

Debris is piled up under the embankment, preventing one from driving under it to Archer. As of September 2007, it is also blocked off. The Slow sign must be quite old, we've never seen it elsewhere.

Facing north towards the portals that used to connect Archer to Grove.

Page authored 31 December 2006.
Last updated 12 September 2007.
Written by Serhii Chrucky.
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