| THE EARLY HISTORY OF DETROIT PUBLIC TRANSIT (1862–1890) |
DETROIT'S PRE-PUBLIC TRANSIT YEARS:
The year was 1862. The American Civil War had already completed its first year, as had the presidency of the
nation's 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. The U.S. Census conducted in 1860 ranked the city of Detroit as the
nation's 18th largest city, with a population of 45,619 residents. The city's African-American population (today
estimated to be nearly 82%) in 1860 was recorded at 1,402, which was just 3% of the population.
During the 1860s, the Detroit city boundary lines covered a much smaller area than today. The city limits were roughly
bounded by what today would be 25th Street on the west and Mt. Elliott Avenue on the east, while northern boundaries
included the railroad tracks of the Michigan Central and Grand Trunk Railroads, together with (or in the vicinity of) what
today would be Milwaukee, Dubois, Leland, Elmwood and Gratiot streets. In total, the city's land area covered only
12.7 square miles. Even Detroit's famous island park, Belle Isle, was at that time still in the hands of private owners.
Although a few cobblestone streets and plank (wooden) roads could be found scattered around the city, most city
roads were either gravel or stone. Because of the passage of the General Plank Road Act of 1848 by the state
legislature, many of the principal roadways radiating from Detroit were toll roads run by private companies chartered
by the state. The upkeep of these roads were entirely the responsibility of the private companies as a means to
improve road conditions across the state.
Meanwhile, public transportation in Detroit was minimal, at best, consisting primarily of horse-driven cabs and buses,
which were used by hotels to connect with railroad depots and boat docks. Numerous attempts to operate a horse-
drawn omnibus service along E. Jefferson — and later along Woodward Avenue — had also been tried, with limited
success, during the years following 1847. However, for the most part, foot–travel would continue as the primary
means of transportation for most citizens at the time, since only the more wealthy could afford their own horse-driven
vehicle to transport themselves around town.
Meanwhile, Detroit was quickly becoming a manufacturing boom town. After the construction of the Erie Canal in 1825
(a waterway that connected the eastern seaboard with the Great Lakes), settlers began to arrive in large numbers,
most coming from the northeastern United States and Europe. From the time Michigan was granted statehood in
1837, the city's population more than doubled every ten years following 1840. By 1860, the city's narrow streets were
becoming more and more congested, raising concerns that the City should begin to seek solutions to help move its
people around town through the use of some form of public transportation. By that time, several major U.S. cities had
already begun operating metal-wheeled cars (or carriages) that were pulled by horses along rails set into existing
roadways. As a result, a number of the city's business leaders felt it was finally time for a similar type of service to
operate here in Detroit.
In response, the Common Council of the City of Detroit passed an ordinance on November 24, 1862, establishing the
guidelines for obtaining a thirty-year franchise, with exclusive rights to build and operate streetcar lines within the city
of Detroit. The ordinance required the franchisee to construct and operate animal-powered cars on and through such
city streets as Jefferson, Michigan and Woodward Avenues, Gratiot, Grand River and Forts Streets; among others. It
also included provisions that the cars not exceed six miles per hour, and prescribed the frequency (at least every 20
minutes) and hours of operation. It also stipulated a fare of five cents on each line, and a franchise tax of $15 per car
per year.
DETROIT'S FIRST HORSE-DRAWN RAIL CARS:
On January 5, 1863, a $5,000 deposit was made to the city on behalf of a company backed by a group of investors
based out of Syracuse, New York. On May 9, 1863, a thirty-year franchise was granted to a Cornelius S. Bushnell, et
al., who organized the Detroit City Railway Company, which was incorporated under the same name on May 12, 1863.
Construction began on June 30, 1863, on Jefferson Avenue near Bates Street. The trackage was similar to that used
on steam railroads and was laid within the middle of the street. The track rested on a two-inch bed of cinders, brought
flush with the top of the rails to provide footing for the horses. The track gauge used was four feet seven inches. The
first line to be constructed was along Jefferson Avenue, from the Michigan Central Train Depot at Third Street
(currently the location of Joe Lewis Arena) eastward to the city limits at Mt. Elliott Avenue. The first two streetcars
arrived from Troy, New York on July, 31, 1863, with city officials, a number of prominent citizens, and representatives of
the press making that first trip over the line on August 1, 1863.
On the evening of Monday, August 3, 1863, a major event would occur which would forever impact the future of Detroit,
as men, women and children thronged the sidewalks along Jefferson Avenue, between Woodward and Randolph,
waiting with excited anticipation to climb aboard the four cars lined-up and ready to receive the first passengers. Free
rides were offered that day for all passengers, as the tiny rail cars bounced along East Jefferson Avenue, from
Randolph Street to Elmwood Avenue. The era of public transportation in Detroit was now becoming a reality.
The next day, August 4, 1863, regular service would begin with eight small horse-powered cars now operating along
Jefferson Avenue, initially providing service from the Michigan Central Train Depot at Third Street to Elmwood Avenue.
On October 1st, the service was extended to Mt. Elliott (the city's eastern limits). The fare was five cents or twenty-five
tickets for a dollar.
Shortly thereafter, the Detroit City Railway began operating service on other lines. On August 27, service would begin
operating along Woodward Avenue, from Jefferson to Adams Avenue. By October the service had been extended to
Alexandrine—the vicinity of the original Harper Hospital. Gratiot Avenue service soon followed on September 12, from
Woodward downtown via Monroe, Randolph and Gratiot to Russell. On November 25, streetcar service would begin
on Michigan Avenue, from Woodward downtown via Michigan Avenue to Chicago Road (Michigan) and Thompson
Street (renamed 12th Street [Rosa Parks Blvd.]). [NOTE: Prior to 1867 Michigan Ave was known as Chicago Road west of 8th St.]
The first horse-drawn cars to operate in Detroit were sixteen feet long, with low steps leading up to a platform located
at both ends. Entrance into the interior was through sliding doors leading to an interior finished in maple. Perimeter
bench seating ran the car's entire length, with interior lighting being provided by oil lanterns. Since these cars
provided no heat, straw had to be placed on the floor during the winter to warm the passengers' feet. With the
increase in streetcar traffic along the streets of Detroit, the Common Council passed a resolution in August of 1864
which required each car to be equipped with a bell to warn pedestrians; after a man was run down and bruised by an
on-rushing streetcar. Although these horsecars were considered slow, even by that day's standards, the iron-rail right-
of-way they rode upon provided a more smoother ride than the rough cobblestone or dirt roads used by horse-drawn
carriages and ominbuses.
At the end of 1863, the Detroit City Railway Company had four horsecar lines in operation; Jefferson, Woodward,
Gratiot and Michigan—with all lines converging at Woodward and Jefferson Avenues. Because more of the
population at the time was concentrated around the River, the Jefferson line soon became the company's main line,
receiving the better equipment, and provided the most frequent service. Although company officials were optimistic
about the future at the end of 1863, the company's first three years of operation were not profitable, forcing the owners
in 1866 to lease all the company's lines to George Hendrie and Thomas Cox, former owners of an omnibus line, who
were eventually able to stabilize the financial condition of the company. George Hendrie later purchased the company,
operating it until 1891.
MORE PRIVATE-OWNED COMPANIES JUMP ABOARD:
Meanwhile, the Detroit City Railway had decided to forfeit its first franchise rights to build along other streets. This
now opened the door for other companies to seek franchise approval to build new lines within the city. The second
company to be granted a streetcar franchise was the Fort Street and Elmwood Avenue Railway Company, which
sought to build a new line along W. Fort Street. At 4:00 P.M., on September 6, 1865, the Fort Street and Elmwood line
began operations, and would become the first line to operate across the entire city from east to west. Upon its
completion, the new 5½-mile long line would operate from the city's western limits, just west of Porter Road (the
present-day 24th St.), eastward along West Fort Street, through Michigan Grand Avenue (present-day Cadillac Square)
to Randolph, then east along Croghan Street (present-day Monroe) to the Elmwood Cemetery at Elmwood Avenue. By
1866, the line had been extended westward into Springwells Township, via Fort Street, Clark, and the River Road (W.
Jefferson), to the entrance of the Fort Wayne military reservation, near what later became Artillery Avenue (Livernois).
In 1871, the company was renamed the Fort Wayne and Elmwood Railway Company, and its car-line, the Fort Wayne
and Elmwood line.
Soon other lines would follow as other companies jumped on board, namely; Grand River (Grand River Street Railway,
1868), Cass and Third (Central Market, Cass Avenue and Third Street Railway, 1873), Congress and Baker (Detroit
and Grand Trunk Junction Street Railway, 1873), and Russell (Russell Street, St. Aubin and Detroit and Milwaukee
Junction Street Railway, 1874). By 1874, six streetcar companies were operating nine car-lines within the city of
Detroit. As the population continued to expand outward to the city limits, many of the lines were also extended, such
as Gratiot, to the Grand Trunk Railroad crossing along-side Dequindre Street, then later to Chene St; Grand River,
from 7th Street to the Grand Trunk Depot at 17th Street; Michigan, from 12th Street to the city limits at 25th Street, and
Woodward, to the Grand Trunk Depot, just south of what would later become Baltimore Avenue.
Meanwhile, a horse disease epidemic would strike Detroit on October 25, 1872. As a result, no street railway service
operated across the city for several days. The disadvantages of using horses was just beginning to become more
and more evident. In addition to being rather slow, horses were susceptible to sicknesses, and the life expectancy of
a streetcar horse was rather short. Having to contend with horse droppings along city streets was also a problem. In
addition, the expanding Detroit boundaries would require a need for the routes to be extended outward, and
horsepower would soon prove to be a hindrance to that cause.
Although the novelty of the horse-drawn rail cars would lessen and become more of an established fact of life in the
city, their usefulness was becoming more evident as ridership numbers continued to rise. In 1875, the Detroit City
Railway Company alone carried 2,900,000 passengers on the four lines it operated within the city. Meanwhile, the
years that followed would bring a number of improvements to the service, including faster headways, extended night
service, new cars, and minor track and rolling stock improvements. Small coal stoves were even installed in the cars
to provide heat. Interestingly, in 1879, the city council decided to grant the City Railway company a new thirty-year
franchise, prior to the expiration of the old one. This soon-to-be controversial move would extend their franchise to
1909, instead of 1893.
By 1880, the city's population had increased to 116,340, with Detroit now ranked as the nation's 17th largest city. The
following years would again see the city's boarders expand, as portions of the surrounding townships were annexed
to the city, increasing the city's land size to nearly 22.2 square miles. The 1880s would also usher in the launching of
more franchise lines, along with the continued expansion of current routes. A number of smaller suburban lines were
also built, making connections with city routes at the boarder. However, it was also during this period that a number of
the smaller companies would find themselves being bought-out by the city's oldest and largest street railway
company, the Detroit City Railway. Take-overs and buy-outs were so prevalent, that by 1892 only two city-based
companies remained.
ALTERNATIVE POWER SOURCES SOUGHT FOR CITY'S STREETCARS:
As the city's boundaries began to encompass the area up to and around the vicinity of the developing Grand
Boulevard, the streetcar companies tried to keep up by extending their lines into these new Detroit neighborhoods.
However, these longer lines were becoming much more expensive to maintain using horses. Typically, a horse could
only pull a streetcar for so many miles or hours on a given day, quite often requiring the need for ten horses per each
horsecar. In addition, the housing, feeding and day-to-day care for each horse added to the expense. As a result, a
cheaper and much faster alternative was desperately being sought to propel the cars. Meanwhile, experimentation
would soon begin in the use of electricity, steam and even storage batteries to power streetcars. But by the late-
1880s, the street railway industry was turning its attention more and more to the possibilities of electric overhead
power.
On September 1, 1886, the first electric streetcars to begin operating within the city of Detroit began along Dix Avenue
(now known as West Vernor), from 24th Street (where it connected with the Congress and Baker horsecar line) west
to Livernois Avenue (which became the new western city limits in 1885). The line continued west into Springwells
Township to Woodmere Cemetery. This new company, known as the Detroit Electric Railway Company, operated its
cars by using an electrical system developed by a Detroit immigrant named Charles J. Van Depoele. The Van
Depoele system, which utilized double overhead wires, was capable of pulling a train of up to three cars. Even though
the system operated quite successfully across the country, it met opposition here in Detroit. Public fear, coupled with
complaints over the objectionable rumbling noises and electric arching the system initially produced from its
overhead connection, prompted the common council — citing irregular service concerns — to order the electric cars
withdrawn in 1889. As a result, the city's first electric line had to be converted into a horsecar line. In 1892, the line
would become part of the newly formed Detroit Suburban Railway Company, which was created by consolidating the
area's suburban railway companies.
Around that same time, Detroit's second electric line began operation on September 18, 1886, after Greenfield
Township (along with the city of Detroit) granted a franchise to the Highland Park Railway Company. The line began
at the six-mile-line marker within the unincorporated village of Highland Park (just north of what is now Manchester),
and operated along the west side of Woodward Avenue, southward through Greenfield Township, across the Detroit
border at Pallister Avenue, to the Grand Trunk Railroad crossing just south of Baltimore Avenue in Detroit. There,
passengers could make connections with the Woodward horsecar line. This line initially operated utilizing a slotted
third rail type system, but was later converted to an overhead trolley operation in 1889. The line later became part of
the Detroit Suburban Railway Company in 1893.
Meanwhile, the technology in the use of overhead electric trolley operation would improve, and despite a reluctance by
some, the use of electric power to propel streetcars in Detroit would prevail. On August 22, 1892, the electric
streetcars would finally begin on the city-based lines, with electric service beginning on Jefferson Avenue.
Conversion to electric power on other lines would eventually follow. The last of the horsecars would be removed in
November of 1895.
For over thirty years, horse-drawn streetcars pulled passengers along Detroit's major roadways at a clippety-clop
pace for five cents. The horsecars offered not speed, but comfort and safety. Instead of clattering along the stone and
brick streets, metal wheels on steel rails set into the roadway transported riders with some form of relative calm. The
streetcar made "all-weather" transportation a possibility for the first time along the city's mostly unpaved dirt roads. As
streetcars became more dependable, they were credited with being major contributors to the development of the city's
prosperity and instrumental in building up the outer portions of the city. This more than guaranteed that the clang!
clang! clang! of the streetcar bell would continue on as part of Detroit's transit scene as the city entered the 1890s.
Although major improvements in streetcar service would soon follow, bigger problems were on the horizon.
See Part 2 for the beginning of the 30-Year War between City Hall and the Streetcar Companies.
The year was 1862. The American Civil War had already completed its first year, as had the presidency of the
nation's 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. The U.S. Census conducted in 1860 ranked the city of Detroit as the
nation's 18th largest city, with a population of 45,619 residents. The city's African-American population (today
estimated to be nearly 82%) in 1860 was recorded at 1,402, which was just 3% of the population.
During the 1860s, the Detroit city boundary lines covered a much smaller area than today. The city limits were roughly
bounded by what today would be 25th Street on the west and Mt. Elliott Avenue on the east, while northern boundaries
included the railroad tracks of the Michigan Central and Grand Trunk Railroads, together with (or in the vicinity of) what
today would be Milwaukee, Dubois, Leland, Elmwood and Gratiot streets. In total, the city's land area covered only
12.7 square miles. Even Detroit's famous island park, Belle Isle, was at that time still in the hands of private owners.
Although a few cobblestone streets and plank (wooden) roads could be found scattered around the city, most city
roads were either gravel or stone. Because of the passage of the General Plank Road Act of 1848 by the state
legislature, many of the principal roadways radiating from Detroit were toll roads run by private companies chartered
by the state. The upkeep of these roads were entirely the responsibility of the private companies as a means to
improve road conditions across the state.
Meanwhile, public transportation in Detroit was minimal, at best, consisting primarily of horse-driven cabs and buses,
which were used by hotels to connect with railroad depots and boat docks. Numerous attempts to operate a horse-
drawn omnibus service along E. Jefferson — and later along Woodward Avenue — had also been tried, with limited
success, during the years following 1847. However, for the most part, foot–travel would continue as the primary
means of transportation for most citizens at the time, since only the more wealthy could afford their own horse-driven
vehicle to transport themselves around town.
Meanwhile, Detroit was quickly becoming a manufacturing boom town. After the construction of the Erie Canal in 1825
(a waterway that connected the eastern seaboard with the Great Lakes), settlers began to arrive in large numbers,
most coming from the northeastern United States and Europe. From the time Michigan was granted statehood in
1837, the city's population more than doubled every ten years following 1840. By 1860, the city's narrow streets were
becoming more and more congested, raising concerns that the City should begin to seek solutions to help move its
people around town through the use of some form of public transportation. By that time, several major U.S. cities had
already begun operating metal-wheeled cars (or carriages) that were pulled by horses along rails set into existing
roadways. As a result, a number of the city's business leaders felt it was finally time for a similar type of service to
operate here in Detroit.
In response, the Common Council of the City of Detroit passed an ordinance on November 24, 1862, establishing the
guidelines for obtaining a thirty-year franchise, with exclusive rights to build and operate streetcar lines within the city
of Detroit. The ordinance required the franchisee to construct and operate animal-powered cars on and through such
city streets as Jefferson, Michigan and Woodward Avenues, Gratiot, Grand River and Forts Streets; among others. It
also included provisions that the cars not exceed six miles per hour, and prescribed the frequency (at least every 20
minutes) and hours of operation. It also stipulated a fare of five cents on each line, and a franchise tax of $15 per car
per year.
DETROIT'S FIRST HORSE-DRAWN RAIL CARS:
On January 5, 1863, a $5,000 deposit was made to the city on behalf of a company backed by a group of investors
based out of Syracuse, New York. On May 9, 1863, a thirty-year franchise was granted to a Cornelius S. Bushnell, et
al., who organized the Detroit City Railway Company, which was incorporated under the same name on May 12, 1863.
Construction began on June 30, 1863, on Jefferson Avenue near Bates Street. The trackage was similar to that used
on steam railroads and was laid within the middle of the street. The track rested on a two-inch bed of cinders, brought
flush with the top of the rails to provide footing for the horses. The track gauge used was four feet seven inches. The
first line to be constructed was along Jefferson Avenue, from the Michigan Central Train Depot at Third Street
(currently the location of Joe Lewis Arena) eastward to the city limits at Mt. Elliott Avenue. The first two streetcars
arrived from Troy, New York on July, 31, 1863, with city officials, a number of prominent citizens, and representatives of
the press making that first trip over the line on August 1, 1863.
On the evening of Monday, August 3, 1863, a major event would occur which would forever impact the future of Detroit,
as men, women and children thronged the sidewalks along Jefferson Avenue, between Woodward and Randolph,
waiting with excited anticipation to climb aboard the four cars lined-up and ready to receive the first passengers. Free
rides were offered that day for all passengers, as the tiny rail cars bounced along East Jefferson Avenue, from
Randolph Street to Elmwood Avenue. The era of public transportation in Detroit was now becoming a reality.
The next day, August 4, 1863, regular service would begin with eight small horse-powered cars now operating along
Jefferson Avenue, initially providing service from the Michigan Central Train Depot at Third Street to Elmwood Avenue.
On October 1st, the service was extended to Mt. Elliott (the city's eastern limits). The fare was five cents or twenty-five
tickets for a dollar.
Shortly thereafter, the Detroit City Railway began operating service on other lines. On August 27, service would begin
operating along Woodward Avenue, from Jefferson to Adams Avenue. By October the service had been extended to
Alexandrine—the vicinity of the original Harper Hospital. Gratiot Avenue service soon followed on September 12, from
Woodward downtown via Monroe, Randolph and Gratiot to Russell. On November 25, streetcar service would begin
on Michigan Avenue, from Woodward downtown via Michigan Avenue to Chicago Road (Michigan) and Thompson
Street (renamed 12th Street [Rosa Parks Blvd.]). [NOTE: Prior to 1867 Michigan Ave was known as Chicago Road west of 8th St.]
The first horse-drawn cars to operate in Detroit were sixteen feet long, with low steps leading up to a platform located
at both ends. Entrance into the interior was through sliding doors leading to an interior finished in maple. Perimeter
bench seating ran the car's entire length, with interior lighting being provided by oil lanterns. Since these cars
provided no heat, straw had to be placed on the floor during the winter to warm the passengers' feet. With the
increase in streetcar traffic along the streets of Detroit, the Common Council passed a resolution in August of 1864
which required each car to be equipped with a bell to warn pedestrians; after a man was run down and bruised by an
on-rushing streetcar. Although these horsecars were considered slow, even by that day's standards, the iron-rail right-
of-way they rode upon provided a more smoother ride than the rough cobblestone or dirt roads used by horse-drawn
carriages and ominbuses.
At the end of 1863, the Detroit City Railway Company had four horsecar lines in operation; Jefferson, Woodward,
Gratiot and Michigan—with all lines converging at Woodward and Jefferson Avenues. Because more of the
population at the time was concentrated around the River, the Jefferson line soon became the company's main line,
receiving the better equipment, and provided the most frequent service. Although company officials were optimistic
about the future at the end of 1863, the company's first three years of operation were not profitable, forcing the owners
in 1866 to lease all the company's lines to George Hendrie and Thomas Cox, former owners of an omnibus line, who
were eventually able to stabilize the financial condition of the company. George Hendrie later purchased the company,
operating it until 1891.
MORE PRIVATE-OWNED COMPANIES JUMP ABOARD:
Meanwhile, the Detroit City Railway had decided to forfeit its first franchise rights to build along other streets. This
now opened the door for other companies to seek franchise approval to build new lines within the city. The second
company to be granted a streetcar franchise was the Fort Street and Elmwood Avenue Railway Company, which
sought to build a new line along W. Fort Street. At 4:00 P.M., on September 6, 1865, the Fort Street and Elmwood line
began operations, and would become the first line to operate across the entire city from east to west. Upon its
completion, the new 5½-mile long line would operate from the city's western limits, just west of Porter Road (the
present-day 24th St.), eastward along West Fort Street, through Michigan Grand Avenue (present-day Cadillac Square)
to Randolph, then east along Croghan Street (present-day Monroe) to the Elmwood Cemetery at Elmwood Avenue. By
1866, the line had been extended westward into Springwells Township, via Fort Street, Clark, and the River Road (W.
Jefferson), to the entrance of the Fort Wayne military reservation, near what later became Artillery Avenue (Livernois).
In 1871, the company was renamed the Fort Wayne and Elmwood Railway Company, and its car-line, the Fort Wayne
and Elmwood line.
Soon other lines would follow as other companies jumped on board, namely; Grand River (Grand River Street Railway,
1868), Cass and Third (Central Market, Cass Avenue and Third Street Railway, 1873), Congress and Baker (Detroit
and Grand Trunk Junction Street Railway, 1873), and Russell (Russell Street, St. Aubin and Detroit and Milwaukee
Junction Street Railway, 1874). By 1874, six streetcar companies were operating nine car-lines within the city of
Detroit. As the population continued to expand outward to the city limits, many of the lines were also extended, such
as Gratiot, to the Grand Trunk Railroad crossing along-side Dequindre Street, then later to Chene St; Grand River,
from 7th Street to the Grand Trunk Depot at 17th Street; Michigan, from 12th Street to the city limits at 25th Street, and
Woodward, to the Grand Trunk Depot, just south of what would later become Baltimore Avenue.
Meanwhile, a horse disease epidemic would strike Detroit on October 25, 1872. As a result, no street railway service
operated across the city for several days. The disadvantages of using horses was just beginning to become more
and more evident. In addition to being rather slow, horses were susceptible to sicknesses, and the life expectancy of
a streetcar horse was rather short. Having to contend with horse droppings along city streets was also a problem. In
addition, the expanding Detroit boundaries would require a need for the routes to be extended outward, and
horsepower would soon prove to be a hindrance to that cause.
Although the novelty of the horse-drawn rail cars would lessen and become more of an established fact of life in the
city, their usefulness was becoming more evident as ridership numbers continued to rise. In 1875, the Detroit City
Railway Company alone carried 2,900,000 passengers on the four lines it operated within the city. Meanwhile, the
years that followed would bring a number of improvements to the service, including faster headways, extended night
service, new cars, and minor track and rolling stock improvements. Small coal stoves were even installed in the cars
to provide heat. Interestingly, in 1879, the city council decided to grant the City Railway company a new thirty-year
franchise, prior to the expiration of the old one. This soon-to-be controversial move would extend their franchise to
1909, instead of 1893.
By 1880, the city's population had increased to 116,340, with Detroit now ranked as the nation's 17th largest city. The
following years would again see the city's boarders expand, as portions of the surrounding townships were annexed
to the city, increasing the city's land size to nearly 22.2 square miles. The 1880s would also usher in the launching of
more franchise lines, along with the continued expansion of current routes. A number of smaller suburban lines were
also built, making connections with city routes at the boarder. However, it was also during this period that a number of
the smaller companies would find themselves being bought-out by the city's oldest and largest street railway
company, the Detroit City Railway. Take-overs and buy-outs were so prevalent, that by 1892 only two city-based
companies remained.
ALTERNATIVE POWER SOURCES SOUGHT FOR CITY'S STREETCARS:
As the city's boundaries began to encompass the area up to and around the vicinity of the developing Grand
Boulevard, the streetcar companies tried to keep up by extending their lines into these new Detroit neighborhoods.
However, these longer lines were becoming much more expensive to maintain using horses. Typically, a horse could
only pull a streetcar for so many miles or hours on a given day, quite often requiring the need for ten horses per each
horsecar. In addition, the housing, feeding and day-to-day care for each horse added to the expense. As a result, a
cheaper and much faster alternative was desperately being sought to propel the cars. Meanwhile, experimentation
would soon begin in the use of electricity, steam and even storage batteries to power streetcars. But by the late-
1880s, the street railway industry was turning its attention more and more to the possibilities of electric overhead
power.
On September 1, 1886, the first electric streetcars to begin operating within the city of Detroit began along Dix Avenue
(now known as West Vernor), from 24th Street (where it connected with the Congress and Baker horsecar line) west
to Livernois Avenue (which became the new western city limits in 1885). The line continued west into Springwells
Township to Woodmere Cemetery. This new company, known as the Detroit Electric Railway Company, operated its
cars by using an electrical system developed by a Detroit immigrant named Charles J. Van Depoele. The Van
Depoele system, which utilized double overhead wires, was capable of pulling a train of up to three cars. Even though
the system operated quite successfully across the country, it met opposition here in Detroit. Public fear, coupled with
complaints over the objectionable rumbling noises and electric arching the system initially produced from its
overhead connection, prompted the common council — citing irregular service concerns — to order the electric cars
withdrawn in 1889. As a result, the city's first electric line had to be converted into a horsecar line. In 1892, the line
would become part of the newly formed Detroit Suburban Railway Company, which was created by consolidating the
area's suburban railway companies.
Around that same time, Detroit's second electric line began operation on September 18, 1886, after Greenfield
Township (along with the city of Detroit) granted a franchise to the Highland Park Railway Company. The line began
at the six-mile-line marker within the unincorporated village of Highland Park (just north of what is now Manchester),
and operated along the west side of Woodward Avenue, southward through Greenfield Township, across the Detroit
border at Pallister Avenue, to the Grand Trunk Railroad crossing just south of Baltimore Avenue in Detroit. There,
passengers could make connections with the Woodward horsecar line. This line initially operated utilizing a slotted
third rail type system, but was later converted to an overhead trolley operation in 1889. The line later became part of
the Detroit Suburban Railway Company in 1893.
Meanwhile, the technology in the use of overhead electric trolley operation would improve, and despite a reluctance by
some, the use of electric power to propel streetcars in Detroit would prevail. On August 22, 1892, the electric
streetcars would finally begin on the city-based lines, with electric service beginning on Jefferson Avenue.
Conversion to electric power on other lines would eventually follow. The last of the horsecars would be removed in
November of 1895.
For over thirty years, horse-drawn streetcars pulled passengers along Detroit's major roadways at a clippety-clop
pace for five cents. The horsecars offered not speed, but comfort and safety. Instead of clattering along the stone and
brick streets, metal wheels on steel rails set into the roadway transported riders with some form of relative calm. The
streetcar made "all-weather" transportation a possibility for the first time along the city's mostly unpaved dirt roads. As
streetcars became more dependable, they were credited with being major contributors to the development of the city's
prosperity and instrumental in building up the outer portions of the city. This more than guaranteed that the clang!
clang! clang! of the streetcar bell would continue on as part of Detroit's transit scene as the city entered the 1890s.
Although major improvements in streetcar service would soon follow, bigger problems were on the horizon.
See Part 2 for the beginning of the 30-Year War between City Hall and the Streetcar Companies.
© 2006 – www.DetroitTransitHistory.info (PV 03-04-11)
The above article was compiled from information acquired from Detroit's Street Railways Vol.I (1863-1922) by Schramm/Henninig (Bulletin
117 CERA); A History of The Detroit Street Railways by Graeme O'Geran; the Detroit Free Press publication: The Detroit Almanac 300
years of life in the Motor City; and other numerous publications and online sources.
117 CERA); A History of The Detroit Street Railways by Graeme O'Geran; the Detroit Free Press publication: The Detroit Almanac 300
years of life in the Motor City; and other numerous publications and online sources.
THE PRE–D.S.R. YEARS — Part I
| (Photo source: from the D.S.R. photo files) |
Return to original version web-page: http://www.detroittransithistory.info/TheEarlyYears.html