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<H1><FONT color=blue><FONT face=AlgerianD>KITTANNING and LEECHBURG RAILWAYS
COMPANY</FONT><FONT color=red></FONT></FONT></H1>
<P><B><A href="http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/6652/kfccar.jpg"><IMG border=8
src="cid:002901bec619$079d8b80$537466a6@default"></A></B></P></CENTER>
<P>By the late nineteenth century, the entire country was getting trolley fever,
including rural Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. Armstrong County is located
approximately 45 miles north of Pittsburgh and has Kittanning as its county
seat. Ford City is located three miles south of Kittanning and was founded in
1887. The Allegheny River bisects the county from north to south. </P>
<P>The <I>Kittanning Traction Company</I> was chartered on July 15, 1890 for the
purpose of constructing a standard gauge (4' 8 1/2") trolley line in
Kittanning. No activity followed until 1898, when the <I>Kittanning and Ford
City Street Railway Company</I> was formed with Frank A. Moesta as president,
John T. Crawford as secretary and James McCullough as treasurer. These gentlemen
plus J.A. Gault and John F. Hileman formed the board of directors of the
fledgling company.
<P>The first trip on the line took place on <STRONG><FONT color=#ff0000>July 3,
1899</FONT></STRONG> at 10:10 AM with Superintendent A.B. Norton and electrician
Greene in charge of the car. They traversed the line from the Valley depot to
the lower end of South Jefferson Street and were greeted by hearty
demonstrations and fireworks. The car, with its oak interior, could hold 50
persons and apparently caused little concern to the horses pulling rigs that
were met along the route.</P>
<P> </P></DIV></DIV>
<P align=center><FONT color=#ff0000 face="" size=6>Happy Fourth of July to
All!!!</FONT></P>
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<DIV><FONT color=#000000
size=2>DFCramer--Teacher-Trombonist-Historian-Conductor
<BR>
<A
href="mailto:dfc1@alltel.net">dfc1@alltel.net</A><BR>
<A
href="http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/6652">www.geocities.com/Vienna/6652</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>