The Danville, Urbana, Bloomington and Pekin Railroad Company, incorporated August 28, 1866, built a road from Danville to Pekin and to the Eastern boundary of Illinois. This rail line merged with a line in Indiana to form the Indianapolis, Bloomington and Western Railway Company. The railroad was opened to traffic October 1, 1869.
The I.B.&W., or the “I Better Walk” as it was affectionately known, made Urbana a stable and independent community. Prior to its construction freight shipments were made between Urbana and Champaign via a horse drawn street car system. Direct rail made delivery easier and more reliable. The new railroad had been a bargaining factor in obtaining Danville’s strong support for locating the University of Illinois in Champaign County. The I.B. &W eventually became the Peoria and Eastern Railway (P&E) Company
On February 22, 1890, the P&E “surrendered to The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis Railway Company (The Big Four) the operation and control of its railroad…”