Complex sentence: The original plan called for a line to connect Chicago with Lawrence County, Illinois (across the river from Vincennes, Indiana) via Danville and Paris; it ran from Chicago to Danville before it was consolidated into the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad in 1877.
Split into simpler sentences: The original plan called for a line to connect Chicago with Lawrence County, Illinois, across the river from Vincennes, Indiana. It was to run via Danville and Paris, but was only operated from Chicago to Danville before it was consolidated into the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad in 1877.