Eleventh Ward Railroad

Eleventh Ward Railroad
Locale Syracuse, New York, United States
Dates of operation 18891890
Successor Syracuse Consolidated Street Railway
Track gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Headquarters Syracuse, New York

The Eleventh Ward Railroad, a street trolley line in Syracuse, New York, was established in 1889 and[1] held the city railway franchise rights to East Fayette Street.[2] The line followed East Fayette Street to Montgomery Street and from there through Burt, Cortland Avenue, Midland Avenue, Colvin Street, Mulberry, Elizabeth, Baker Avenue and terminating on Kennedy street.[3]

The road was established by the same entrepreneurs as the Seventh Ward Railroad which was laid on the same line on Fayette Street to Montgomery Street in 1886; however, from there it continued to Jefferson, Grape, Kennedy and Renwick Avenue with final destination Oakwood Cemetery, forming a belt line with the Eleventh Ward line. Both lines were also referred to as the Seventh and Eleventh Ward Railroad. These two lines were the first in the city to adopt regular schedule ten-minute time.[3]

The company merged with Syracuse Consolidated Street Railway in 1890, after an agreement was made that allowed the new company to lease the lines.[3]

History

The Eleventh Ward Railroad was established in 1886 with $150,000 capital.[3]

Company management

At the time of establishment in 1886, Edward F. Rice was president; R. S. Sperry was vice-president; E. J. Rice was secretary and Frank Purnell was superintendent.[4] Directors were E. F. Rice, E. B. Judson, Jr., Louis Marshall, H. S. White, J. N. Knapp, D. K. McCarthy and Daniel Candee.[3]

Operations

The line employed both 45 and 47 pound rail and by 1890 had six cars and 26 horses.[4]

Syracuse consolidated lease agreement

The Syracuse Consolidated Street Railway was chartered in 1890 in Syracuse and by July 1, 1890, the new company leased, in perpetuity, several street railroads in the city including the Eleventh Ward Railroad as well as the Third Ward Railway, Fourth Ward Railroad, Fifth Ward Railroad, Seventh Ward Railroad, New Brighton and Onondaga Valley Railroad, Genesee and Water Street Railroad, Woodlawn and Butternut Street Railway and Syracuse and Geddes Railway. The rail ran a total distance of 24 miles (39 km) and had branches every 3 miles (4.8 km).[5] At that time, the Eleventh Ward Railroad ceased to exist.[3]

Syracuse Consolidated Street Railway filed for bankruptcy in 1893 and merged with the Syracuse Rapid Transit Railway Company in May 1896.[6]

References

  1. "First Streetcars Operated Here in 1860". Syracuse Herald (Syracuse, New York). December 14, 1922.
  2. "Study for Bus Franchise Recalls Early Trolley Lines". Syracuse Herald-Journal (Syracuse, New York). May 23, 1940.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bruce, Dwight Hall. Memorial history of Syracuse, N.Y., from its settlement to the present time. Electronic Library, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  4. 1 2 Whipple, Fred H. Whipple's Electric, Gas and Street Railway Financial Reference Directory. Electronic Library, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  5. Poor, Henry Varnum. Manual of the railroads of the United States, Volume 27. Poors, 1889 p. 85; 317. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
  6. American street railway investments. The Street Railway Publishing Company, 1899 p. 262. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
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