Portland Street Railway Company
Portland Street Railway Company | |
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Overview | |
Owner | trust (1887–1893) First Street Railway Company (1893–1896) |
Locale | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
Termini |
|
Service | |
Type | Horsecar |
Services | 1 |
Operator(s) | Joseph Holladay (1887–1893) |
History | |
Opened | 1872 |
Closed | 1896 |
Technical | |
Line length | 2 mi (3.2 km)[1][2] |
Number of tracks | 1 |
Track gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)[3][4] |
The Portland Street Railway Company was the first
History
On April 19, 1871, Levi Estes, who together with D. S. Thompson owned
For the first time the cars were run on the track on December 7, 1872. The company started with a total of four cars and ten horses. Ben Holladay, the owner of the company, put his younger brother, Joseph Holladay, in charge of the company. The expansion of Portland inland, away from First Street, increased demand for a separate car line by the 1880s. On February 18, 1886, the City of Portland approved an ordinance allowing the Portland Street Railway Company to extend its line from Caruthers Street to Porter Street.[8] After Ben Holladay's death in 1887, the Portland Street Railway Company was caught up in his estate. His brother was ordered to sell off the company to settle the estate. Joseph Holladay refused and went to Vancouver, Washington, to avoid authorities. Caught up in litigation, the Holladay estate increased in value, eventually enough for Joseph Holladay to return to Portland to reclaim the car franchise.[9]
Upon Holladay's return he attempted to upgrade the line without success. He attempted to sell his company to property owners on First Street, but they wanted a new
References
- ^ "The Metropolis of the Pacific Northwest". The West Shore. 14 (5). Portland, Oregon: L. Samuel: 235. May 1888. Retrieved January 30, 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Editorial Correspondence. Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, Everett, Astoria". The Street Railway Journal. 9 (5). New York: Street Railway Publishing Co.: 306 1893 – via Google Books.
- ^ Thompson, Richard. "Portland streetcar system". The Oregon Encyclopedia.
- ^ Labbe 1980, pp. 35.
- Riverside Press. p. 200 – via Google Books.
- ^ City of Portland (1884). Charter and General Ordinances in Force March 1, 1884, Laws of Paid Fire Department and Table of City Grades of the City of Portland. Portland, Oregon: R. H. Schwab and Bro., Steam Printing House. pp. 72–76. Retrieved January 30, 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ Labbe 1980, pp. 23–24.
- ^ City of Portland (1892). Hume, W. T. (ed.). The Laws and Ordinances of the City of Portland, Oregon. Portland, Oregon: Schwab Brothers Printing and Lithographing Company. pp. 311–312. Retrieved January 30, 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ Labbe, p. 25
- ^ Labbe, p. 26
Bibliography
- Labbe, John T. (1980). Fares, Please! Those Portland Trolley Years. Caldwell, Idaho: ISBN 0-87004-278-5.
See also
- Rail transport in Oregon