Then and Now, Torrence-112th

1947–Torrence Avenue @ 112th Street, view north

2020–the same location

In 1947 the Wisconsin Steel plant dominated this section of Torrence Avenue.  Here, at paper-112th Street, was the southern terminal of the South Deering streetcar line.  By then an off-street turn-around loop was already in place—the tracks are visible at the bottom of the older photo.  However, most of the double-ended cars still changed directions the old-fashioned way, parked in the middle of the street while the seats and trolley poles were flipped.

Buses replaced streetcars on Torrence Avenue soon after the 1947 photo was taken.  Today those buses use that off-street loop.  Wisconsin Steel closed in 1980.  The drinking fountain that guy in the older photo was using is gone, too,

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