Railroad Junction Playlot Park
History
The Chicago Park District purchased the site of this playlot in 1970 with the help of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The park was officially named Railroad Junction in 1998. During the 1850s, Grand Crossing, the area in which this park is located, was a major junction for rail lines entering Chicago from the south and east. The community became known as Grand Crossing after a dramatic collision between an Illinois Central and a Michigan Southern train. Eighteen people died and 40 were injured in the accident.