Kittanning & Ford City Street Railway Company

[DF Cramer]

    On Friday, August 4, 1899, an inspection run was made on the new trolley line connecting Kittanning and Manorville. Pennsylvania.  The car left the Kittanning depot at 5:00 PM and had to make several stops to grease the rail at curves.  They cut brush that was rubbing the sides of the car and even had to cut away part of the roof of a shed on JT Deemer's farm.  No sooner was this accomplished that the crew discovered his barn was also in the way.  Employees of the traction company made quick work of cutting the corner off the barn so they could proceed.  (Dr. Deemer was invited to join the inspection run.)  The car reached McCain (original end of the line) and returned to Kittanning without incident.
 
    The next day, Saturday, August 5, 1899, regular service was begun on the Kittanning and Ford City Street Railway Company.  By Monday, August 7, 1899, over 4,000 people had their first experience with electric traction in this rural county northeast of Pittsburgh.
 
    The line was eventually expanded south to Lenape Park and north to Cowanshannock Creek.  The name was changed to the Kittanning and Leechburg Street Railways Company in 1904 and in 1911, West Penn Railways bought the line.  The only standard gauge line in their system.
 
    The line closed on November 8, 1936.
 
    For more information, images and an forthcoming book on the Trolleys of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, visit my website listed in my signature.
DFCramer--Teacher-Trombonist-Historian-Conductor           
                      dfc1 at alltel.net
       www.geocities.com/Vienna/6652
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