Then & Now | A look at ANR through the decades

Nestled in the heart of America, Sandwich Compressor Station—located on the ANR pipeline—has spent more than 70 years quietly powering the Midwest. Sandwich has long served as a vital artery in Illinois, delivering energy that fuels homes, hospitals and industry. To understand this compressor station is to understand the evolution of the region itself, the generations who built it and those who ultimately sustain its legacy for years to come.

1948: Installation of the Michigan-Wisconsin pipeline near Sandwich, Illinois.

Energy for the heart of America

The origins of Sandwich trace back to the late 1940s, when the United States was entering a period of rapid postwar industrial growth. To satisfy soaring energy demands, the American Natural Resources Company (ANR) set out to reshape how energy moved across the country. Their plan was ambitious: construct a new pipeline stretching 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometres) from the Panhandle gas fields of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas to the industrial centres of the upper Midwest.

Completed in 1949, the Michigan-Wisconsin pipeline delivered natural gas to Wisconsin for the first time, marking a turning point for the Midwest’s economy. Factories expanded, cities grew and demand surged so quickly that ANR doubled its pipeline capacity within the same year.

At the centre of this expanding system was Sandwich. At a critical junction where the pipeline splits toward Michigan and Wisconsin, the station became the operational heart of ANR. From there, gas could be pumped up north for immediate use by customers in Wisconsin or diverted east into underground storage fields in Michigan, where it would be held in reserve for winter. This highly efficient system of balancing supply across seasons nearly doubled company earnings in its first year.

A multigenerational legacy: Rick and Chad

Ultimately, Sandwich’s history is defined by people—particularly the generations who have passed its legacy from one set of hands to the next. Among these generations are father and son, Rick and Chad.

"I was born and raised four miles from that station and I never knew what it was," Rick recalls. "When I went to the engine rooms, I was in complete awe of all the equipment." He spent nearly five decades at Sandwich—from 1975-2018—becoming one of the station’s most experienced mechanics.

Today, Chad carries forward the legacy his father helped shape. He describes this experience working in the same business and at the same facility as his father as “very rewarding.” He noted, “I was able to work with him, side by side for five years. Not everyone can say they worked with their father, let alone that long… He taught me a lot before he left. It was a great five years.”

Rick and Chad are far from alone. TC Energy, like ANR before it, has long been a place where careers span generations, where knowledge is passed down and where the history of the infrastructure is inseparable from the families who operate it. As Rick puts it, "The pipeline group is a close-knit family. That is what made it a good place to work—the closeness of the crews and all the stations."

The two embody continuity and connection. Their story reflects a broader truth: that the strength of our network lies in the people who have devoted their lives to its legacy.

1949: Original Worthington reciprocating engines at Sandwich Compressor.

Sandwich going forward

More than seven decades since its first engines roared to life, Sandwich remains a strategic asset in our network. Its location in the heart of America places Sandwich squarely within a region where we anticipate significant growth and continued investment. As the United States enters another period of economic expansion, the ANR pipeline and Sandwich are expected to play a key role in supplying critical energy.

As we celebrate our 75-year anniversary, Sandwich stands as a symbol to the region it helped energize and a tribute to the families who molded its legacy. It is a reminder that the future of energy is rooted in the foundations laid generations ago, and the people who continue to carry it forward.