West Liberty

[John Swindler]

>
>John Swindler wrote:
>
> > Don't suppose there is any interest in short history of public 
>transportation in Pittsburgh written by Pitts. Ry. president for 1931 
>history????
>
>	Welllllll, of course . . . NOT.  Why on earth would people on a PRCo mail 
>list be interested in such?  It eludes me!!:>)
>	I assume this is coming under separate cover - extra postage, too!!


(part 3 will be from 1922 history)

Street Railways in Pittsburgh:  pp 672 of Pittsburgh of Today, published 
1931

J. Dawson Callery, Chairman of the Board of the Pittsburgh Railways Company 
has prepared the following complete and authoritative, though very succinct, 
history of Pittsburgh’s street railways, the  first charters for the 
construction of which were granted by the Legislature of Pennsylvania in 
1859.

	By an act approved March 22, 1859, a charter was granted to the Citizens’ 
Passenger Railway Company for the construction and operation of a railway 
from Market and Fifth Streets, along Fifth Street, Cecil’s Alley, Penn 
Street and the Greensburg and Pittsburgh turnpike road, to Butler Street in 
the Borough of Lawrenceville, and thence by Butler Street and the 
Lawrenceville and Sharpsburg plank Road to Sharpsburg.  The incorporators of 
this line were rather prominent citizens at that time.  Among the names we 
find those of James Verner, Alexander Speer, Richard Hays, W. M. Darlington, 
Joshua Rhodes, Richard L. Ewalt, Nathaniel Holmes, O. H. Rippey, James P. 
Barr and William Coleman

	The Pittsburgh, Allegheny and Manchester Passenger Railway Company was 
charted by an act approved April 12, 1859 to construct and operate a railway 
between Penn and St. Clair (now Federal) Street in the City of Pittsburgh, 
and Woods Run.  Among the incorporators were Thomas Bakewell, Joseph S. 
Brown, William Bagaley, John E. Parke, H. Brady Wilins, Robert S. Hays, 
Charles H. Paulson, Joshua Hanna, James Holmes, William Kinkle, William 
Robinson Jr., Robert McKnight, Joseph Kirkpatrick, Eccles Robinson and J. O. 
Bennett.

	The Pittsburgh and East Liberty Passenger Railway Company was also 
incorporated by an act approved April 8, 1859 to construct a street railway 
from Market Street in the City of Pittsburgh to the Village of East Liberty. 
   This is what is now known as the Fifth Avenue line. Among the 
incorporators were J. W. Hailman, Thomas Clarke, L. R. Livinstone, William 
B. Negley, John B. Semple, Nathaniel Holmes, Joseph Woodwell, William M. 
Lyon, John Fleming, Spring Harbaugh, John Murdock, Jr. Christian Zug, James 
P. Sterrett and R. H. Hartley.

	The Pittsburgh and Birmingham Passenger Railroad Company was incorporated 
by an act approved April 13, 1859 to construct a street railway from the 
intersection of Fifth and Smithfield Streets, along Smithfield Street to the 
Monongahela Bridge, across said bridge to Carson Street in the borough of 
South Pittsburgh; thence along Carson Street through the boroughs of South 
Pittsburgh, Birmingham and East Birmingham to Brownstown.  Among the 
incorporators were John Evans, R. B. Carnahan, James Blackmore, Oliver 
Ormsby, Alexander Chambers, James Barr, John McDonald Crossan, R. Biddle 
Roberts, Benjamin Singerly, Robert McKnight, Andrew Fulton, William M. 
Hirsh, William Lauffman, and Nathaniel Holmes.

The Pittsburgh and Minersville Passenger Railway Company was incorporated 
March 22, 1862 and authorized to purchase from the Pittsburgh and East 
Liberty Passenger Railway Company that portion of its road now constructed 
lying on Fifth Street, Wylie Street, Fulton Street and Center Avenue in the 
City of Pittsburgh, and also that portion lying from the eastern line of the 
City of Pittsburgh (Devilliers Street) to the Village of Minersville.  The 
incorporators were E. P. Jones, Abraham Ackright, James Johnston, Jr., and 
James M. Sinclair

	The Federal Street and Pleasant Valley Passenger Railway Company was 
incorporated February 20, 1868 to construct a street railway from Market 
Square in the City of Allegheny, to any pont within said city or McClure 
Township upon any public road now opened or which may hereafter be opened 
between said point and the Perrysville Plank Road.  By supplement approved 
March 25, 1870, the company was authorized to extend its road from Federal 
Street via Diamond Square, Gay Alley, Union Avenue, Church Avenue, Anderson 
Street and the Pittsburgh and Allegheny bridge to the City of Pittsburgh, 
and over and along such streets in the City of Pittsburgh as the Councils of 
said city may permit.

	The Central Passenger Railway Company was chartered February 18, 1869 to 
construct a railway from the corner of Fourth Avenue and Market Street and 
by Fourth Avenue, Grant, Fifth, Wylie and Fulton Streets and Center Avenue 
to East Liberty and to purchase from the Pittsburgh and Minersville the 
franchises and privileges which it purchased from the Oakland Passenger 
Railway Company.

	The Pittsburgh and Ormsby Passenger Railroad Company was incorporated April 
6, 1870 to construct a railway from any point in the Borough of Ormsby via 
Sarah Street in the Borough of East Birmingham to 17th Street, Borough of 
Birmingham; thence via Washington Street and 10th Street to the Birmingham 
Bridge, and over said bridge to Second Avenue in the City of Pittsburgh, 
thence by such streets as may be granted by the Councils of Pittsburgh, to a 
suitable terminus on or near Market Street

	The Pittsburgh, Oakland and East Liberty Passenger Railway Company 
(successor of the Pittsburgh and East Liberty Passenger Railway Company) was 
organized January 15, 1872 to operate the railway constructed on Market 
Street; Third and Fourth Avenue; Grant Street; Fifth Avenue; Denniston 
Avenue and Highland Avenue.

	Second Avenue Passenger Railway was charted July 6, 1881.  The route was 
from Glenwood via Second Avenue to Market Street. James D. Callery was 
elected president and director of the company in November 1888.

	The Pittsburgh and West End Railway Company was chartered March 27, 1879 
and re-chartered 15 May 1889.  Its route was from a point on Fifth Avenue 
near Union Street, thence along Fifth Avenue, Liberty Street, Fifty Street, 
Penn Avenue, Water Street, the Point Bridge, Carson Street, Main Street and 
Walnut Street to a point at or near Washington Turnpike with the privilege 
of constructing a branch along Carson Street southeastwardly from the Point 
Bridge to the Monongahela Bridge.

	The West End Traction Company was chartered November 15, 1897. This company 
operated the properties of the Pittsburgh and West End and other passenger 
railways companies.

As Section 7 of Article III of the Pennsylvania Constitution adopted January 
1874 provided that the general assembly should not pass any local or special 
law creating corporations, or amending, renewing or extending the charters 
thereof; granting to any corporation, association, or individual any special 
or exclusive privilege or immunity, or to any corporation, association or 
individual the right to lay down a railroad track, no street railway 
companies were chartered between the date the constitution became effective 
and May 23, 1878 as there was no law authorizing the chartering of such 
companies between those dates.

	On May 23, 1878, an act providing for the incorporation and government of 
street railway companies in cities of the third, fourth and fifth classes, 
and in boroughs and townships was approved by Governor Hartranft, and on 
March 19, 1879, as act was approved by Governor Hoyt providing for the 
incorporation, and for the government and regulation of street railways.

	On March 22, 1887, an act providing for the incorporation and regulation of 
motor power companies for operating passenger railways by cables, electrical 
or other means, was approved by Governor Beaver, and under the provisions of 
that act a number of traction companies were chartered and later acquired 
the capital stock or leased the properties and franchises of street railway 
comp-companies and rebuilt and operated their railways.

	The first rapid transit by street railway was furnished by the Pittsburgh 
Traction Company which, in June 1887, leased the properties and franchise of 
the Pittsburgh, Oakland and East Liberty and the Central Transit Company, 
and constructed a cable line over that portion of their routes beginning at 
th foot of Fifth Avenue and running out that thoroughfare to Shady Avenue to 
Penn Avenue to Highland Avenue and thence to Fifth Avenue, a distance of 
about five and one-half miles.  This system was operated for traffic 
September 12, 1889.

	In September 1887 the Citizens Passenger Railway Company leased its 
property and franchises, including the property and franchises leased by its 
from the Transverse Passenger Railway Company to the Citizens Traction 
Company, and the latter company constructed and operated a cable line over 
that portion of the route between Cecil Alley, in the downtown portion of 
the city, and East Liberty, and also from Penn Avenue via Butler Street to 
Sharpsburg.

In December 1888 the central Traction Company entered into an agreement with 
the Central Passenger $Railway Company for the op4operation of its 
properties and constructed a cable line along Sixth Avenue, Wood Street, 
Fourth Avenue, Grant Street, Wylie Avenue, Fulton Street and Center Avenue 
to Thirty-third Street.

	The cable lines were operated until 1897.

The first electric line was constructed from South 13th and Carson Streets 
to Knoxville borough over a very heavy grade.

	The first successful lines of electric street railway were those of the 
Federal Street and Pleasant Valley Passenger Railway and the Second Avenue 
Passenger Railway, which were equipped in 1889 and began operations in 1890 
with the overhead trolley, known as the Vanderpole System.

	Competing lines were built in many suctions, such as those fo the 
Monongahela Street Railway on Forbes Street from Woodlawn Avenue to 
Wilkinsburg, Edgewood, Swissvale, Braddock and East Pittsburgh; and from the 
intersection of Forbes Street and Murray Avenue along Murray Avenue and over 
a new bridge constructed by Captain S. S. Brown, known as th Homestead 
Bridge, to Homestead, Braddock, Duquesne, and McKeesport.

	In 1895 the Consolidated Traction Company was chartered and in 1896 secured 
control of the Pittsburgh Traction, Citizens Traction, Central Traction and 
Duquesne Traction, and equipped those roads for electric operation.  On 
January 1, 1902, it leased the property of the Monongahela Street Railway 
Company whose lines had been further extended form Wilkinsburg to Verona and 
Oakmont.

In 1897 the United Traction Company leased the property and franchises of 
the Pittsburgh, Allegheny and Manchester Traction Company and purchased the 
property and franchises of the Second Avenue Traction Company and the North 
Side Traction Company, which latter company held a controlling interest in 
the Federal Street and Pleasant Valley Passenger Railway.

In 1894 the West End lines were extended to Crafton, Mansfield (now 
Carnegie), McKees Rocks and Woodville.  In 1897 the West End Traction 
Company was chartered and acquired control of the Pittsburgh and West End 
Railway, Pittsburgh, Crafton and Mansfield Street Railway, Pittsburgh, 
Neville Island and Coraopolis Railway, the railway of which latter company 
was operated over th entire length of Neville Island to and through 
Coraopolis and afterwards, by private right of way and the Sewickley Bridge, 
to the borough of Sewickley.

	In the winter of 1899 the Philadelphia Company acquired control of the 
stock of the Untied Traction Company.

	On Oct 1, 1900 the Southern Traction Company (now Pittsburgh Railways Co 
Company) acquired by lease all of the property and franchises of the West 
End Traction Company.

	January 1, 1902 the Untied Traction Company acquired by lease all of the 
property and franchises of the Pittsburgh and Birmingham Traction.

	Since January 1, 1902 the Pittsburgh Railways Company has been operating 
the properties of the Consolidated Traction Company and the Untied Traction 
Company under operating agreements.  At that time the Pittsburgh Railways 
system embraced 400 miles of single track, carried 178,703,000 passengers 
and had a revenue of $ 6,758,000 per year, while in 1926 it operated 590 
miles of single track, carried 396,679,675 passengers and had a revenue of 
$21, 727,230.

	In 1930 the officers of the Pittsburgh Railways Company are as follows:  
Chairman of the Board, James D. Callery; President, F. R. Phillips; Vice 
President, Thomas Fitzgerald; Secretary, W. B. Carons; Treasurer, C. J. 
Braun, Jr.; Controller, C. S. Mitchell; Directors, James D. Callery, C. S. 
Mitchell, Moritz Rosenthal, Edwin W. Smith, M. B. Starring, W. B. Carson, H. 
C. McEldowney, J. J. O'Brian, William L. Monro, Arthur E. Braun, and F. R. 
Phillips.

	The operation of electric railroads in Pittsburgh is costlier than in most 
other cities because of the abounding hills and the consequent extra heavy 
demands on power.  The exceedingly heavy snowstorms of the winter of 1917-18 
precipitated a crisis in the company’s affairs, and it was compelled to 
resort to the United States Court for a receivership.  On April 24, 1918 the 
Court appointed J. D. Callery, H. S. A. Stewart and Charles A. Fagan 
receivers.  A year later Mr. Callery and Mr.. Stewart resigned and were 
succeeded by S. L. Tone and W. D. George.  The receivership lasted nearly 
six years, the property being turned back to the company on February 1, 
1924.  During the receivership the Public Service Commission of Pennsylvania 
put an estimate of $62,500,000 on the property, but the company contended 
that the rail value was much larger.  The fare in 1930 and for several years 
prior to that was 10 cents, with three tickets or “tokens” purchasable for 
25 cents.  Weekly passes good for an unlimited number of rides cost $1.50.




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