Trolleys Of Our Past

[jon]

DOUBLE TRACK IN YORKVILLE
______________________________


Meeting to Consider the Matter Will be Held To-Morrow Night
______________________________


To-morrow evening there will be a meeting at Yorkville of the taxpayers of that place to consider the matter of granting a franchise to the street railway company to-day an extra track by the one put in use before. The committee of citizens of Yorkville which has been securing the easement of the property owners along the line, has completed its work. The committee has been remarkably successful as all the property owners have been seen, relative to the natter, and all seems to be in favor of the movement.

[jon]

The meeting to-morrow is called at the request of the Yorkville people. As Yorkville is not an incorporated village the highway commissioner will, of necessity have to grant the franchise.

In return for the branched the railroad company will: have a five cent fare with the transit privileges. This system will be put into effect as soon as the franchise is granted. Under the new system passengers will be allowed to ride from any part of the city of New Hartford or Capron to the creek bridge in Whitesboro for a single fare of five cents. The fare from that point westward will be as before. To Oriskany ten cents, to any part of Whitesboro five cents.

UTICA DAILY PRESS - AUGUST 26, 1901

[jon]

STILL THERE ARE RUMORS
__________________________________


Further Reports of Sale of Richfield Springs Road
__________________________________


The reports of some papers reports concerning that the capitalists behind the Utica & Mohawk Valley Railroad, have made strong moves to acquire the Oneonta Cooperstown & Richfiekd Springs Railroad. The Little Falls Times says:

"The conviction grows that the inevitable outcome of the financial troubles of the Richfield electric railroad will be that it will become the property of the valley line. This belief is strengthened by the following from the Cooperstown Farmer: "Various rumors have been rife for the past four or five days to the effect that the Oneonta, Cooperstown & Richfield Springs Railroad had sold its lines to the syndicate operating the Mohawk Valley lines. It is impossible to verify these rumors with certainty, but there is no doubt that something is doing Judge Liggins said, the only passenger director, looks so but declines to talk. The extent of his admonitions is that negotiations for the sale of the road to the Utica & Mohawk Valley Railroad Company have been under way for some time. No transfer of the property has been filed in the county clerks office.

[jon]

Paul T. Brady of Syracuse who owns a very substantial interest in the valley road, was in town Saturday and took occasion to make detailed inquires concerning the trolley company and the attitude of the people of Cooperstown toward it. At the end of the inquiry he said: "My lips are closed at present, but you will hear more of this later. This remark is thought by some to have a very significant bearing on the rumored transfer of the trolley road."

"There is no money in sight at Mohawk to-day to pay the laborers and other creditors of the road, and no authentic word has been received from the company's New York office. Two liens were filed in the county clerk's office to-day against the property. The lienors are James W. Packer and L. H. & C. D. Townsend, both of Oneonta. Packer's claim for lumber, stone, brick and labor, is $15,074.44. Misters Townends claim is for $16,813.52, which is for hardware,supplies, plumbing, etc."

General Manager Allen said last night that so far as he knew there were no negotiations on foot for the purchase of that railroad. He added, however, that first advices of any such purchase would come from Cleveland.


UTICA DAILY PRESS - JUNE 22, 1903

[jon]

ELECTRIC RAILWAY EMPLOYEES

The monthly meeting of the Employees Mutual Benefit Association of the Utica &Mohawk Valley Railway Company will be held to-morrow night at the rooms on Devereux street. The matter of appointing a committee to nominate officers will be among the matters considered. At the close of the business session an exhibition of wrestling will be given.


UTICA DAILY PRESS - NOVEMBER 10, 1905

[jon]

PICNICS

The first day of September is the date set aside by the employees of the Bleecker Street Railroad Company fir their first annual picnic at Utica Park. The employees are deserving of a grand day and a grand time for their fervent work in the past two months of transporting so many pleasure seekers to the park, so they are going to find out how it would seem to be the picnickers themselves.

That Labor Day will be an eventful day in Utica, is already a convincing statement, and among the causes surreality in the success of this day is the Trades Assembly Picnic at Utica Park. You will find it to your advantage to take in the picnic and help a worthy cause. It is for the benefit of the building fund.

Rath's Union Band will give a grand concert and picnic for the benefit of the uniform fund, at Utica Park, Tuesday. It is needless to say that the quality of the music will be beyond criticism.


UTICA SUNDAY TRIBUNE - AUGUST 28, 1892

[jon]

CAR FENDER SAVED
HORSE FROM DEATH

As Elm Street Car Ran Late a Rig Owned by L. b. Wanning - Horse Slightly Injured and Wagon Damaged

A horse attached to a delivery wagon, belonging to L. B.Manning, the grocer at the junction of Kemble and Eagle streets and Park avenue, was run into and picked up by a fender on the Elm street line of the Utica and Mohawk Valley Railroad, near the curve in Park avenue, about noon yesterday. The rig was in charge of Mr. Manning's young son, who works about the store Saturday. The young man had just left the store with a wagon load of goods. When he neared the track he saw the car approaching and stopped the horse. With one hand on the reins and the other arranging the goods in the wagon, he waited for the car to pass. Unconsciously to the driver of the horse started. When it reached the track the car was upon it. The motorman saw that he could not stop in time to avoid a collision, so he dropped the fender and the horse was picked up. The car was soon stopped. The animal's legs were somewhat entangled in the fender, but was soon taken out. The horse was slightly injured and the wagon was damaged.


UTICA SUNDAY TRIBUNE - SEPTEMBER 13, 1901

[jon]

NEW YORK, UTICA & OGDENSBURG RAILROAD

The citizens of South Herkimer County are requested to attend a meeting at SMALL'S HOTEL, Ilion, on Thursday next, at 2 P. M., for consulting in regards to the best route to construct a road from Springfield Center to Utica.


UTICA DAILY OBSERVER - SEPTEMBER 6, 1870

[jon]

TROLLEY PLANS
NOT COMPLETED
________________________


PROBABLY LITTLE CHANGE HERE THIS SEASON
________________________


S--------------- System to be Improved ---------------
----------- --------------- --------------- -----------

No one in Utica may expect to ride to Syracuse this year upon trolley cars running over the West Shore Railroad tracks. In the future such a pleasure may be experienced, but before such an arrangement is made, there is a great deal to do.

[jon]

late yesterday afternoon the Associated Press secured the following statement from the Vanderbilt mi------------ in new York city:

The Cleveland O ---------------- controlling the Utica, Rome and Oneida street railway shave squired a controlling interest in the Syracuse Eagle Transit Company, and proposes to merge these properties late ------------ -------------. The New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Company has purchased an interest in these properties and will probably enter into a trackage agreement for the use of the West Shore Railroad to connect the system of which Syracuse and Utica are centers. Further extensions east and west are in contemplation. The New York Central intends to aid the new company in taking care of of and developing the about haul traffic to the -------- exteny.

It will be noticed that the statement is guarded and that it does not promise and more than can be fulfilled.

The Central Hudson is engaged in preparing


UTICA HERALD DISPATCH - APRIL 16, 1883

[jon]

[Dave]

Further Reports of Sale of Richfield Springs Road
__________________________________

"There is no money in sight at Mohawk to-day to pay the laborers and other creditors of the road, and no authentic word has been received from the company's New York office."


I would guess the creditors were payed before the workmen. Was good to see labor as organized in 1903. Too bad it's disorganized today. (With notable exceptions, of course.)

Jon, thanks, this is really interesting stuff.

[Dave]

The picture I'm getting is you could take a train or trolley almost anywhere around the valley. That would have been pretty neat!

[jon]

RAILROAD Y. M. C. A.
______________________________


There was a very interesting Bible study class conducted at the railroad Branch Y. M. C. A. yesterday at 6 o'clock by D. W. Mace. The regular meetings will be resumed early in the fall. The building is well patronized by the employees of the several roads centering here and the demand for sleeping accommodations are as large this summer as at any time in the history of the work.


UTICA DAILY PRESS - 1898

[Dave]

If I remember my history correctly ... and I don't always do so ... the YMCA was formed as a result of so many men on the road traveling as American businesses and the country opened up. Such numbers on the move was unprecedented in a country which had been so thoroughly agricultural before the Civil War.