Rondout, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rondout, Illinois
Sulphur Glen
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Amtrak Empire Builder at Rondout station in 1983
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 Rondout, Illinois
Location in Illinois
Rondout, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Lake |
| Township | Libertyville |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Postal code |
60044, 60045, 60048
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| Area codes | 847, 224 |
Rondout is a small, unincorporated community in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It first grew around a place where different railroad lines met. The area is part of Libertyville Township. Since Rondout is not a city, it doesn't have clear boundaries. It shares postal codes with nearby towns like Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, and Libertyville, Illinois. Rondout has its own elementary school, which is part of Rondout School District 72. Illinois Route 176 runs through Rondout from east to west. This road acts as the main street and is also known as "Rockland Road."
Contents
Rondout's Past: How the Community Started
Early Days and Name Changes
Between 1870 and 1872, a railroad company, which later became the Milwaukee Road, built a railway line. This line connected Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1880, a new branch line was added that went to Libertyville, Illinois. The spot where these lines met was called Libertyville Junction.
The community that formed around this junction was first known as Sulfur Glen. People called it this because there was a lot of sulphur in the local water. In 1888, the community changed its name to Rondout. This new name came from a town called Rondout, New York. Some say the community hoped to attract a business from the New York town. Another story suggests a local resident asked the railroad to name the place after his old hometown.
In 1951, a company called Peter Baker & Son Co. moved its asphalt plant to Rondout. This helped the area grow and develop even more.
Rondout's Railroad Story: A Busy Junction
The first railroad junction, where lines met from the north, south, and northwest, was built in 1880. This was done by a company that is now part of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The CPR still uses this junction today.
In 1889, another railroad line was built. This new line crossed the Milwaukee & St. Paul/CPR tracks at the same level, just south of the first Rondout junction. This line was built by the Waukegan and Southwestern Railway. It was later taken over by the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway. In 2009, the Canadian National Railway (CNR) bought this railway. The crossing and the way freight trains can switch between the CNR and CPR lines are still used today. Because of this new crossing, a special building called an interlocking tower had to be built. This tower helped control the train movements safely.
Then, in 1902, another railway line was added. This was the Chicago & Milwaukee Electric Railway's branch to Mundelein. It ran parallel to Rockland Road and went over the other railway lines on a bridge, right above the Rondout junction. In 1916, a man named Samuel Insull bought this railway. He renamed it the Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee, often called the North Shore Line. This line had a way for freight to switch with the Milwaukee Road. It also had passenger platforms and shelters at Rondout Station, which were built above the ground. The North Shore Line stopped operating in January 1963.
In the early 1900s, the first interlocking tower at Rondout was replaced with a stronger brick building. By 2013, this brick tower was one of the few remaining railroad control towers in Illinois. In early 2015, it was closed, and train control moved to a dispatching center in Minnesota. The building is still used as an office for railway maintenance staff.
The Great Train Robbery of 1924
On June 12, 1924, Rondout became famous for a major historical event. It was the site of the largest train robbery in United States history. A group of people, including the "Newton Gang" and a postal inspector, stopped the Milwaukee Road's Fast Mail train. They successfully took more than $2 million in cash, jewelry, and other valuable items.
However, all the people involved were caught and brought to justice soon after. Almost all of the stolen goods, except for about $100,000, were found and returned. A special historical marker was later built to remember this event.
Commuter trains still travel through Rondout on the Milwaukee District / North Line today. These trains used to stop at the main Rondout Station, located on Rockland Road. The station building was removed on January 1, 1979. However, Regional Transportation Authority/Metra commuter trains continued to stop at Rondout station until November 22, 1984. The station platforms and signs stayed for a while. Most of the platform was taken down in 1997. Access to the small part of the platform that remained was officially stopped on January 1, 2002.
Rondout's Railroads Today
Today, Metra's Milwaukee District / North Line commuter trains still pass through the Rondout junction. These trains travel between Chicago and Fox Lake, going through Lake Forest and Libertyville. Amtrak's long-distance passenger trains, like the Hiawatha Service, Borealis, and Empire Builder, also use the main line that connects Chicago, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
At the Rondout railroad junction today, just south of Route 176/Rockland Road, the CNR's single-track Waukegan Subdivision still crosses the north-south C&M Subdivision. The Union Pacific Railroad also uses parts of the Waukegan Subdivision. Another line, the Fox Lake Subdivision, still branches off to the northwest, going through Libertyville. Metra now owns the Fox Lake Subdivision and the southern part of the C&M Subdivision. The CPR still owns the northern part.
Since 2017, the old North Shore Line's Mundelein branch has been turned into the North Shore Bike Path. This rail trail runs next to Rockland Road and is still elevated over the Rondout junction.
Education in Rondout
Rondout has its own school district, called Rondout School District 72. This district has one elementary school, Rondout School. The school teaches students from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. Students living in Rondout and some nearby communities attend this school. After finishing Rondout School, students usually go on to attend Libertyville High School.
Rondout in Movies
- The 1998 film The Newton Boys includes a scene that shows the 1924 train robbery that happened in Rondout.
