 Oak Park station was opened on January 25, 1901, by the Lake Street Elevated Railroad as a surface-level station on the line that ran parallel to the former Chicago and Northwestern Railway line (today's Union Pacific / West Line).Both lines created an unsafe grade crossing, especially as the community moved from horse-powered vehicles to the automobile.When the C&NW elevated its line between 1908 and 1909, it created a blind spot for traffic trying to cross the Lake Street Line.