Oakton (4800W/8000N)
Oakton Street and Skokie Boulevard, Village of Skokie

Service Notes:

North Side Division, Skokie branch

Quick Facts:

Address: TBD
Established: March 28, 1925
Original Line: North Side Division, Niles Center branch
Previous Names: Names
Skip-Stop Type: n/a
Rebuilt: n/a
Status: Demolished

History:

This station, which in many ways resembles the Dempster station of the same line, was the only stop on the "L"'s Skokie Valley route that was even remotely close to what little population existed in the empty suburb of Niles Center (later Skokie) in 1925. This station served Skokie's downtown. The North Shore Electric Line never used this stop, even though it was one of only two also used by the "L" that it helped pay for.

Nearly identical to the Dempster station at the end of the line, Oakton was smaller and set between the tracks. The station was a bungalow-like structure with some Prairie School influences. The station included terrazzo floors, intricate eaves and bracket work, and strong horizontal lines characteristic of this uniquely Midwestern style. It contained a small waiting room and a lunch counter, as did Dempster.

When "L" service stopped in 1948, the station was closed. It was not demolished until work began to rebuild the line as the Skokie Swift in 1963. Remarkably, when the Skokie Swift was inaugurated in 1964 on the same right of way, no station was built on this site, even though it is a mere block from Skokie's central business district.

The ladies behind the concession counter in the Oakton station are ready to serve hungry passengers who might pass through. An egg salad sandwich cost only 15 cents; a Coke could be had for only a nickel. (Photo from the Bruce G. Moffat Collection)