| DETROIT TRANSIT HISTORY |
THE PRE-D.S.R. YEARS - Part IV
| THE MUNICIPAL TAKE-0VER OF THE CITY LINES (1921--1922) |
Not long after Hazen S. Pingree entered the office of Mayor of Detroit in 1890, the
owners of the city's streetcar companies found themselves entangled in a long and
on-going battle with City Hall that would last for nearly thirty years. Although most
of the smaller battles along the way had been won by the streetcar companies, the
final chapter of that thirty-year war was about to be written.
owners of the city's streetcar companies found themselves entangled in a long and
on-going battle with City Hall that would last for nearly thirty years. Although most
of the smaller battles along the way had been won by the streetcar companies, the
final chapter of that thirty-year war was about to be written.
In 1918, a former Canadian, industrialist, banker, and philanthropist
named James J. Couzens decided to run for Mayor of Detroit under a
platform that advocated the acquisition of the DUR. Couzens (or 'Big
Jim' as he was called) had been one of the initial associates of Henry
Ford, and was involved in the founding of the Ford Motor Company.
He later became vice president and general manager of that company.
Couzens later served as one of the original appointees to the Detroit
Street Railway Commission, serving from 1913 to 1916. While on the
named James J. Couzens decided to run for Mayor of Detroit under a
platform that advocated the acquisition of the DUR. Couzens (or 'Big
Jim' as he was called) had been one of the initial associates of Henry
Ford, and was involved in the founding of the Ford Motor Company.
He later became vice president and general manager of that company.
Couzens later served as one of the original appointees to the Detroit
Street Railway Commission, serving from 1913 to 1916. While on the
| JAMES J. COUZENS |
Commission he became a big advocate of the city take-over of the streetcar system,
and even considered himself an expert on transportation.
According to the C.E.R.A. publication, Detroit's Street Railways, Vol I: City Lines
1863-1922, that during his campaign for mayor in 1918, Jim Couzens had himself
removed from a DUR streetcar by refusing to pay the new 6¢ fare, which the DUR
had just raised by one penny. Couzens arranged for the press to be there, which
gave the publicity stunt full coverage in the newspapers. Evidently, Detroiters liked
what they saw in Couzens and his platform, and elected him Mayor of Detroit. He
entered office in January of 1919.
Meanwhile, Couzens wasted no time in getting an offer on the ballot for the city to
purchase the DUR for $31.5 million. But the large financing requirements needed
to obtain the funding resulted in Mayor Couzens' first ballot proposal attempt being
defeated by the voters in April 1919.
Meanwhile, back in December of 1917, and prior to Couzens' election as mayor, the
second of two Detroit Rapid Transit engineering studies had been completed. This
second report, prepared by a consulting firm hired by the D.S.R. Commission, had
recommended that a total of 65 miles of combined underground downtown subways
with surface or elevated rail lines further out in the city, should be built to relieve
downtown traffic congestion.
The consultants recommended that the city should finance and build the system,
and regulate the fares, while the privately-owned DUR Company would operate it.
The money generated by the system would be equally divided between the city and
the DUR, with the city's share being used to pay off the debt. Eventually, the city
could use its share to later acquire the DUR. The study concluded that any outright
purchase of the DUR at that time would make it impossible for the city to also be
able to finance the building of a rapid transit system.
The plan met the approval of the DSR Commission, and in October 1919 was finally
submitted to the Detroit Common Council. Although the Council was divided on the
issue, they decided to pass a resolution to begin negotiations with the DUR to put
this city-company arrangement plan into operation. Of course, Mayor Couzens, who
had campaigned on a platform calling for the elimination of the DUR, vetoed it. The
Council attempted to override the Mayor's veto, but failed by one vote. That single
vote may have prevented Detroit from having a subway built as early as the 1920's.
Shortly after vetoing the subway plan, the Mayor presented a newly revised plan to
the voters. Instead of an immediate take-over of the DUR, Couzens now proposed
building a competing municipal street railway operation to run the company out of
business. He asked Detroiters to grant him $15 million in bonds to help build 100
miles of new track, and purchase 400 new streetcars and 150 trailer cars. The
bonds would also cover $1 million for carbarns and other equipment, $1.3 million to
purchase 29.5 miles of trackage built since 1911 under the "Day-to-Day" service
agreements, and $850,000 to take-over 21.25 miles of track where the franchise
rights had already expired. This included the former Detroit City Railway's original
Woodward line tracks from Milwaukee to the Detroit River, which expired in 1909.
Jim Couzens worked hard to get his new plan approved. He began using the slogan
"Service-at-Once" as a sales pitch -- a play on the "Detroit-Service-at-Cost-Plan"
motto used to pitch the subway plan he vetoed. An extensive campaign was waged,
including the production of a professionally-made motion picture to be shown at the
neighborhood theaters. The local newspapers (who backed the Mayor and his plan)
ran daily listings of where this film would be shown, and also ran anti-DUR news
articles, editorials, cartoons and letters to help gain voter support.
On April 5, 1920, Detroit voters approved Mayor Couzens' $15,000,000 bond issue
proposal to build and operate a separate municipally-owned street railway system.
Within 24-hours, the Mayor held a press conference where he would turn over the
first shovel of dirt, which signaled the beginning of construction on "Big Jim's City
Streetcar System."
and even considered himself an expert on transportation.
According to the C.E.R.A. publication, Detroit's Street Railways, Vol I: City Lines
1863-1922, that during his campaign for mayor in 1918, Jim Couzens had himself
removed from a DUR streetcar by refusing to pay the new 6¢ fare, which the DUR
had just raised by one penny. Couzens arranged for the press to be there, which
gave the publicity stunt full coverage in the newspapers. Evidently, Detroiters liked
what they saw in Couzens and his platform, and elected him Mayor of Detroit. He
entered office in January of 1919.
Meanwhile, Couzens wasted no time in getting an offer on the ballot for the city to
purchase the DUR for $31.5 million. But the large financing requirements needed
to obtain the funding resulted in Mayor Couzens' first ballot proposal attempt being
defeated by the voters in April 1919.
Meanwhile, back in December of 1917, and prior to Couzens' election as mayor, the
second of two Detroit Rapid Transit engineering studies had been completed. This
second report, prepared by a consulting firm hired by the D.S.R. Commission, had
recommended that a total of 65 miles of combined underground downtown subways
with surface or elevated rail lines further out in the city, should be built to relieve
downtown traffic congestion.
The consultants recommended that the city should finance and build the system,
and regulate the fares, while the privately-owned DUR Company would operate it.
The money generated by the system would be equally divided between the city and
the DUR, with the city's share being used to pay off the debt. Eventually, the city
could use its share to later acquire the DUR. The study concluded that any outright
purchase of the DUR at that time would make it impossible for the city to also be
able to finance the building of a rapid transit system.
The plan met the approval of the DSR Commission, and in October 1919 was finally
submitted to the Detroit Common Council. Although the Council was divided on the
issue, they decided to pass a resolution to begin negotiations with the DUR to put
this city-company arrangement plan into operation. Of course, Mayor Couzens, who
had campaigned on a platform calling for the elimination of the DUR, vetoed it. The
Council attempted to override the Mayor's veto, but failed by one vote. That single
vote may have prevented Detroit from having a subway built as early as the 1920's.
Shortly after vetoing the subway plan, the Mayor presented a newly revised plan to
the voters. Instead of an immediate take-over of the DUR, Couzens now proposed
building a competing municipal street railway operation to run the company out of
business. He asked Detroiters to grant him $15 million in bonds to help build 100
miles of new track, and purchase 400 new streetcars and 150 trailer cars. The
bonds would also cover $1 million for carbarns and other equipment, $1.3 million to
purchase 29.5 miles of trackage built since 1911 under the "Day-to-Day" service
agreements, and $850,000 to take-over 21.25 miles of track where the franchise
rights had already expired. This included the former Detroit City Railway's original
Woodward line tracks from Milwaukee to the Detroit River, which expired in 1909.
Jim Couzens worked hard to get his new plan approved. He began using the slogan
"Service-at-Once" as a sales pitch -- a play on the "Detroit-Service-at-Cost-Plan"
motto used to pitch the subway plan he vetoed. An extensive campaign was waged,
including the production of a professionally-made motion picture to be shown at the
neighborhood theaters. The local newspapers (who backed the Mayor and his plan)
ran daily listings of where this film would be shown, and also ran anti-DUR news
articles, editorials, cartoons and letters to help gain voter support.
On April 5, 1920, Detroit voters approved Mayor Couzens' $15,000,000 bond issue
proposal to build and operate a separate municipally-owned street railway system.
Within 24-hours, the Mayor held a press conference where he would turn over the
first shovel of dirt, which signaled the beginning of construction on "Big Jim's City
Streetcar System."
Construction of the tracks began almost immediately,
with the excess material that had been taken from the
streets to form the track base hauled away to Belle Isle
and used to enlarge the Island. On August 23rd, "Big
Jim" himself would be photographed driving that first
spike into rails along Harper Avenue.
Meanwhile, land was purchased on the city's east-side
on a site bounded by Shoemaker, Lillibridge, E. Warren
and St. Jean. This farmland, formerly a part of the
recently annexed Village of St. Clair Heights, would be
the site of the department's administration offices, and
would also be used to house the city's streetcar fleet.
with the excess material that had been taken from the
streets to form the track base hauled away to Belle Isle
and used to enlarge the Island. On August 23rd, "Big
Jim" himself would be photographed driving that first
spike into rails along Harper Avenue.
Meanwhile, land was purchased on the city's east-side
on a site bounded by Shoemaker, Lillibridge, E. Warren
and St. Jean. This farmland, formerly a part of the
recently annexed Village of St. Clair Heights, would be
the site of the department's administration offices, and
would also be used to house the city's streetcar fleet.
On February 1, 1921, with only two lines totaling 13 miles, and a fleet of sixteen
cars in service, the City of Detroit began operating a small competing street railway
operation. The fare was 5¢ with a free transfer being issued between the two lines.
Although the city's fleet of cars -- painted yellow with maroon and white stripping --
displayed the wording "City of Detroit-Department of Street Railways" across the
sides, this municipally-owned operation was structured differently than the actual
D.S.R. agency which was formed later. This city system more resembled the city's
current DDOT operation, in that it existed as a city department, much like Public
Works and Parks & Recreation. To help avoid any confusion, most historians tend
to refer to the city's first attempt at public transit as the "Municipal Operation" or
the M.O., instead of the DSR.
The original cars operated by the "Municipal Operation" were a fleet of 250 small
size single-truck Birney Safety Cars, which were nothing like the large streetcars
with trailers the public had expected. These cars were too small, too slow, unstable
on the tracks, and unable to handle large city crowds. The MO operated primarily
out of a hastily built yard and maintenance shed, located at the Shoemaker and St.
Jean location. A permanent brick structure -- the Shoemaker Carhouse -- was also
in the process of being built, and would later open on July 4, 1922. The operation's
administration offices were also built on the same site -- located between St. Jean
and Lillibridge -- at 11200 Shoemaker Avenue. In addition, temporary carhouses
were also used on the west-side to house cars for the system's Clairmount line.
The first two MO lines to begin operations included a "Crosstown" line built along
Buchanan and Charlevoix streets, and a much shorter line along St. Jean. Actually,
the original St. Jean Avenue line was built in order to provide the MO streetcars
the trackage needed to reach Charlevoix Avenue from its Shoemaker Yard. The St.
Jean line operated with six cars from St. Jean & Kercheval to Montclair & Harper.
Only eight miles of the Charlevoix-Buchanan "Crosstown" line -- operating with ten
cars along Charlevoix between Alter Road and Bellevue (just west of E. Grand Blvd.)
-- was ready for service that first day. But by August, the entire line to Buchanan &
Junction on the west-side had been completed.
By the end of 1921, the operation had built 52.6 miles of new trackage, allowing the
MO to begin operations on the following lines: Charlevoix-Buchanan "Crosstown",
St. Jean Avenue [from Kercheval to Harper & Gratiot], Moran-McDougall, Van
Dyke [from Charlevoix to Harper], Clairmount [from Colby & Russell (just north of
the current I-75 and E. Grand Blvd.) to Joy Rd. & Gd. River], Fenkell [from 12th &
Davison to Fenkell & Livernois], and Davison [from Oakman (present-day Woodrow
Wilson) to Livernois].
But the city system would soon realize that without access into the downtown area
its operation could not compete against the DUR. After a ballot approval by voters
on April 4, 1921, the city was able to purchase 29½ miles of newer trackage built
by the DUR since 1911 under a "Day-to-Day" permit agreement -- which also gave
the city the rights to purchase those tracks at any time. This take-over would seize
portions of the DUR's heavily traveled Grand Belt, Hamilton, Mack and Third St.
lines. The lines, along with 105 cars and 23 trailers were purchased for $2.3 million.
Attempts were made by the DUR in court to challenge the Municipal Ownership
Ordinance, but were unsuccessful. After turning down the trivial offer of $338,000
from the city to purchase portions of its Woodward and Fort Street lines -- where
the franchise rights had expired -- the DUR threatened to pull up the tracks along
those lines. But after loud protests from downtown businesses the DUR withdrew
its threats.
But another blow to the DUR would come in November 1921, when Detroit voters
approved an ordinance which would allow the city to force the DUR to remove their
tracks on any line whenever its service franchise agreement expired. Realizing the
impending loss of its main Woodward line, and with an additional 54.6 miles of
franchise trackage due to expire in 1924, the DUR reached an agreement with the
MO to begin joint service on four major lines. Joint service began on the Trumbull
line on December 15, 1921, and was later extended to the Hamilton, Woodward,
and the East and West Fort lines in January 1922. Each system agreed to pay 20¢
per car mile for operating over the other system's rails. The MO was also allowed to
store its cars in DUR carhouses for $5.00 a day. The city also agreed to purchase a
fleet of fifty large double-truck Peter Witt streetcars to operate on DUR heavy lines.
By early 1922, the MO had built nearly 61½ miles of track and had also taken over
29½ miles of DUR trackage. With the city-owned system now slowly expanding, the
future prospect for extensions and other much needed DUR improvements looked
dim. Finally the Canadian investors who controlled the DUR decided to give up and
sell out to the city. On March 13, 1922, a price of $19,850,000 was agreed upon.
On April 17, 1922, the purchase was approved by Detroit voters along with a $4
million bond issue to cover debts. The "Thirty Years War" for municipal ownership
was now over.
On May 15, 1922, at 12:01AM, the DEPARTMENT OF STREET RAILWAYS (also
known as the D.S.R.) began its first day of operation. The newly formed municipally
owned and operated transportation agency would absorb the smaller M.O. system,
and take over all DUR railway operations within Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park
and Springwells (now known as Dearborn). The City of Detroit now became the first
large American city to provide an alternative to privately owned mass transportation
through municipal ownership.
The DSR now controlled practically all of the street railway trackage inside the then
Detroit city limits; controlled some 363 miles of track, employed 4,000 workers, and
operated 1,457 streetcars out of 12 carhouses. Thirty acres of the DUR's Highland
Park Woodward Avenue property -- located north of Manchester between Woodward
and Third -- also became the property of the DSR, serving as a storage garage and
major maintenance facility for the DSR through the early 1970's.
Although the Detroit United Railway had now lost its city street railway operation,
the DUR continued to operate its extensive interurban operation through the early
1930's. The DUR retained a portion of the Highland Park facility, between Third
and Hamilton, to house its interurban operation.
cars in service, the City of Detroit began operating a small competing street railway
operation. The fare was 5¢ with a free transfer being issued between the two lines.
Although the city's fleet of cars -- painted yellow with maroon and white stripping --
displayed the wording "City of Detroit-Department of Street Railways" across the
sides, this municipally-owned operation was structured differently than the actual
D.S.R. agency which was formed later. This city system more resembled the city's
current DDOT operation, in that it existed as a city department, much like Public
Works and Parks & Recreation. To help avoid any confusion, most historians tend
to refer to the city's first attempt at public transit as the "Municipal Operation" or
the M.O., instead of the DSR.
The original cars operated by the "Municipal Operation" were a fleet of 250 small
size single-truck Birney Safety Cars, which were nothing like the large streetcars
with trailers the public had expected. These cars were too small, too slow, unstable
on the tracks, and unable to handle large city crowds. The MO operated primarily
out of a hastily built yard and maintenance shed, located at the Shoemaker and St.
Jean location. A permanent brick structure -- the Shoemaker Carhouse -- was also
in the process of being built, and would later open on July 4, 1922. The operation's
administration offices were also built on the same site -- located between St. Jean
and Lillibridge -- at 11200 Shoemaker Avenue. In addition, temporary carhouses
were also used on the west-side to house cars for the system's Clairmount line.
The first two MO lines to begin operations included a "Crosstown" line built along
Buchanan and Charlevoix streets, and a much shorter line along St. Jean. Actually,
the original St. Jean Avenue line was built in order to provide the MO streetcars
the trackage needed to reach Charlevoix Avenue from its Shoemaker Yard. The St.
Jean line operated with six cars from St. Jean & Kercheval to Montclair & Harper.
Only eight miles of the Charlevoix-Buchanan "Crosstown" line -- operating with ten
cars along Charlevoix between Alter Road and Bellevue (just west of E. Grand Blvd.)
-- was ready for service that first day. But by August, the entire line to Buchanan &
Junction on the west-side had been completed.
By the end of 1921, the operation had built 52.6 miles of new trackage, allowing the
MO to begin operations on the following lines: Charlevoix-Buchanan "Crosstown",
St. Jean Avenue [from Kercheval to Harper & Gratiot], Moran-McDougall, Van
Dyke [from Charlevoix to Harper], Clairmount [from Colby & Russell (just north of
the current I-75 and E. Grand Blvd.) to Joy Rd. & Gd. River], Fenkell [from 12th &
Davison to Fenkell & Livernois], and Davison [from Oakman (present-day Woodrow
Wilson) to Livernois].
But the city system would soon realize that without access into the downtown area
its operation could not compete against the DUR. After a ballot approval by voters
on April 4, 1921, the city was able to purchase 29½ miles of newer trackage built
by the DUR since 1911 under a "Day-to-Day" permit agreement -- which also gave
the city the rights to purchase those tracks at any time. This take-over would seize
portions of the DUR's heavily traveled Grand Belt, Hamilton, Mack and Third St.
lines. The lines, along with 105 cars and 23 trailers were purchased for $2.3 million.
Attempts were made by the DUR in court to challenge the Municipal Ownership
Ordinance, but were unsuccessful. After turning down the trivial offer of $338,000
from the city to purchase portions of its Woodward and Fort Street lines -- where
the franchise rights had expired -- the DUR threatened to pull up the tracks along
those lines. But after loud protests from downtown businesses the DUR withdrew
its threats.
But another blow to the DUR would come in November 1921, when Detroit voters
approved an ordinance which would allow the city to force the DUR to remove their
tracks on any line whenever its service franchise agreement expired. Realizing the
impending loss of its main Woodward line, and with an additional 54.6 miles of
franchise trackage due to expire in 1924, the DUR reached an agreement with the
MO to begin joint service on four major lines. Joint service began on the Trumbull
line on December 15, 1921, and was later extended to the Hamilton, Woodward,
and the East and West Fort lines in January 1922. Each system agreed to pay 20¢
per car mile for operating over the other system's rails. The MO was also allowed to
store its cars in DUR carhouses for $5.00 a day. The city also agreed to purchase a
fleet of fifty large double-truck Peter Witt streetcars to operate on DUR heavy lines.
By early 1922, the MO had built nearly 61½ miles of track and had also taken over
29½ miles of DUR trackage. With the city-owned system now slowly expanding, the
future prospect for extensions and other much needed DUR improvements looked
dim. Finally the Canadian investors who controlled the DUR decided to give up and
sell out to the city. On March 13, 1922, a price of $19,850,000 was agreed upon.
On April 17, 1922, the purchase was approved by Detroit voters along with a $4
million bond issue to cover debts. The "Thirty Years War" for municipal ownership
was now over.
On May 15, 1922, at 12:01AM, the DEPARTMENT OF STREET RAILWAYS (also
known as the D.S.R.) began its first day of operation. The newly formed municipally
owned and operated transportation agency would absorb the smaller M.O. system,
and take over all DUR railway operations within Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park
and Springwells (now known as Dearborn). The City of Detroit now became the first
large American city to provide an alternative to privately owned mass transportation
through municipal ownership.
The DSR now controlled practically all of the street railway trackage inside the then
Detroit city limits; controlled some 363 miles of track, employed 4,000 workers, and
operated 1,457 streetcars out of 12 carhouses. Thirty acres of the DUR's Highland
Park Woodward Avenue property -- located north of Manchester between Woodward
and Third -- also became the property of the DSR, serving as a storage garage and
major maintenance facility for the DSR through the early 1970's.
Although the Detroit United Railway had now lost its city street railway operation,
the DUR continued to operate its extensive interurban operation through the early
1930's. The DUR retained a portion of the Highland Park facility, between Third
and Hamilton, to house its interurban operation.
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(Click on above thumbnail photos to view larger image)
-Streetcar photos courtesy of S. Sycko
The above information was compiled from information acquired from the Central Electric Railfans' Association publication Detroit's Street
Railways Vol.I (1863-1922) and Vol. II (1922-1956); miscellaneous Jack E. Schramm historical DSR articles published by Motor Coach
Age magazine; and other numerous publications and online sources.
Railways Vol.I (1863-1922) and Vol. II (1922-1956); miscellaneous Jack E. Schramm historical DSR articles published by Motor Coach
Age magazine; and other numerous publications and online sources.
| For additional info on the early DSR years, see upcoming articles to be located under "The DSR Years" |
For Comments and/or Suggestions, Please contact Site Owner at: admin@detroittransithistory.info
| DETROIT TRANSIT HISTORY |
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- a DSR Files photo
| The web-site which takes a look back at the history of public transportation in and around the City of Detroit. |