| DETROIT TRANSIT HISTORY |
THE PRE-D.S.R. YEARS - Part II
| THE STREETCAR COMPANIES VERSUS THE MAYOR (1890--1900) |
| During the 1890's, a mixture of both horsecars and electric powered cars operated along the city's streets. This photo (circa 1895) looks east along Fort St. at Woodward. While an electric streetcar can be seen heading west along Fort, a horse-driven streetcar heads north along Woodward. (Schramm Collection Photo) |
The arrival of the 1890's brought about a number of significant changes to the
Detroit public transit arena. The years preceding the 1890's experienced a period of
consolidation among the various companies, with the largest and oldest company --
Detroit City Railway -- absorbing a number of the smaller operations. In 1879, the
company was even granted a new thirty year franchise by the Common Council,
which extended their operating rights until 1909, instead of 1892 under the original
thirty-year franchise agreement. This extension, however, would later help to spark
a political battle in Detroit within the coming years.
With the arrival of the 1890's also came the realization among Detroiters of the
numerous advantages streetcars propelled by electric power had over horse power.
Although a few failed attempts at electric powered rail-cars had already been tried
within the city, a few communities outside of the city limits were already using
electric powered streetcars, including Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and the Villages of
Highland Park and Grosse Pointe.
The city of Detroit's first permanent electric streetcar operation began on August
22, 1892, when the Detroit Citizens Street Railway -- a company which acquired
the Detroit City Railway operations in 1891 -- began service on Jefferson Avenue.
Other car lines would soon follow, but the heavy investment needed to convert more
horse-car lines over to electric operation would require the consolidation of many of
the city's smaller horse-car companies. More than two dozen companies had already
operated in and around city streets over the previous years, but by the end of 1892,
only two city companies -- the Detroit Citizens Street Railway, and the Fort Wayne
and Belle Isle Railway - remained.
Meanwhile, politics entered the Detroit transit arena upon the arrival of the 1890's,
when a successful Detroit businessman named Hazen S. Pingree, who had
established the Pingree and Smith Shoe Co., was elected mayor of Detroit. Pingree,
who by now had become a social reformist, challenged the streetcar companies' fare
policies, and fought the Detroit City Railway (which was renamed the Detroit Street
Railway in 1890) when the company tried again to obtain additional extended
franchise rights in order to electrify the city's streetcar lines.
Pingree felt that the original thirty-year franchise granted the company back in 1862
-- which would have expired in 1892 -- took precedence over the extended franchise
granted the company in 1879. The mayor considered the 1879 franchise agreement
invalid, and denied the company another new extension. However, the company --
which became the Detroit Citizens Street Railway in 1891 -- eventually prevailed in
the courts, and on November 12, 1893, the thirty-year (1879--1909) franchise
extension was upheld. But this was only the beginning of what was to become the
Mayor's ongoing feud with the city's streetcar companies.
It didn't take long for conflict to arise again, as the dispute between the mayor and
the private companies over fares escalated in January 1894. The fare being charged
by the two companies at that time was five cents, but a three cent fare (or eight
tickets for 25¢ -- commonly called the Workingman's Tickets) was charged during
the morning and evening rush hours. But Mayor Pingree felt that the five cent fare
being charged during non-rush hours was too high, and wanted the fare lowered to
three cents the entire day, along with free transfers.
When the streetcar owners refused, the mayor decided to round up a group
of investors to build and operate a competing system offering a three-cent fare. This
resulted in the formation of the Detroit Railway Company on November 21, 1894.
With Mayor Pingree's intervention, the new privately-owned company was awarded a
thirty-year franchise to build new lines, where the fare would be eight tickets for
25¢ between 5:45AM and 8:00PM, and 5¢ the remainder of the day. The agreement
also arranged for the city to maintain the company's tracks, and also included an
option for the city to purchase the lines at the expiration of the franchise. In mid-
December, the mayor himself signaled the beginning of construction by turning the
first shovel of dirt.
On July 8, 1895, with Mayor Pingree himself as motorman for a day, regular service
began on Warren and Forest Avenues when the "Crosstown & Belle Isle" line began
operations. It was the first of the so-called "3-cent lines" to be put into service by
the new Detroit Railway Company. Other "3-cent lines" soon followed, including
Fourteenth, Hastings, Oakland, Harper, Mt. Elliott, and a few others.
But unfortunately for the Mayor, the Detroit Railway Co. was reorganized within a
year, and later sold to the Detroit Electric Railway Company on July 29, 1896.
Many of the investors in this new company were also owners and investors in the
Detroit Citizens Street Railway, one of the same companies with which Pingree
had fought over fares. As a result, by January 1897, the Detroit Electric Railway
came under the full control of the "Citizens" Company.
The underhanded take-over of the Detroit Railway Company of course infuriated
the Mayor, and as a result, Pingree began to focus on an alternative plan, which
would authorize Detroit to own and operate all of the city's street railways, and offer
the three-cent fare city wide. This ongoing dispute Pingree had with the streetcar
companies would eventually become a thirty year long war between the city and the
private owners over municipal ownership of public transportation.
However, in 1897, Hazen S. Pingree was elected Governor of the State of Michigan,
where his campaign for city ownership and control of public transit would continue.
Under Governor Pingree, legislation was passed on March 24, 1899, which provided
for the city ownership of its street railway lines. This new legislation, known as The
McLeod Act, would authorize the City of Detroit to construct, acquire, maintain,
and operate a street railway system under the control of a three man Street Railway
Commission. One of the very first members to be appointed to this new Commission
included -- you guessed it -- Governor Pingree.
With the handwriting now on the wall, it appeared evident that a sale to the city of
the railway lines was inevitable. Negotiations soon began between the city's Street
Railway Commission, and the three remaining streetcar companies -- which by now
were all basically under the financial control of the Citizens Company. Plans were
being drawn-up to sell the rail lines and underlying properties to the City of Detroit.
Meanwhile, a group of prominent businessmen, including J.L. Hudson, opposed the
sale, fearing possible loss of taxes paid to the city from the streetcar companies. In
April 1899, they filed a court injunction to stop it.
But by early June 1899, it appeared that municipal ownership had basically become
a done deal, with a sale price of $16,800,000 in bonds agreed upon. This new city-
owned system was to be known as the Detroit Municipal Railway. However, on
July 5, 1899, Governor Pingree's dream of a municipally owned streetcar operation
in Detroit came to a halt when the Michigan Supreme Court declared The McLeod
Act unconstitutional. The city's take-over attempt of the street railway lines at that
time just wasn't to be.
With the municipal ownership of the streetcar system now an apparent dead issue,
the owners of the city's three remaining streetcar companies, along with the owners
of the outlying suburban operation (where the lines had been consolidated in 1892),
announced that all of the remaining streetcar systems in the Detroit area would be
consolidated into one new system.
Detroit public transit arena. The years preceding the 1890's experienced a period of
consolidation among the various companies, with the largest and oldest company --
Detroit City Railway -- absorbing a number of the smaller operations. In 1879, the
company was even granted a new thirty year franchise by the Common Council,
which extended their operating rights until 1909, instead of 1892 under the original
thirty-year franchise agreement. This extension, however, would later help to spark
a political battle in Detroit within the coming years.
With the arrival of the 1890's also came the realization among Detroiters of the
numerous advantages streetcars propelled by electric power had over horse power.
Although a few failed attempts at electric powered rail-cars had already been tried
within the city, a few communities outside of the city limits were already using
electric powered streetcars, including Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and the Villages of
Highland Park and Grosse Pointe.
The city of Detroit's first permanent electric streetcar operation began on August
22, 1892, when the Detroit Citizens Street Railway -- a company which acquired
the Detroit City Railway operations in 1891 -- began service on Jefferson Avenue.
Other car lines would soon follow, but the heavy investment needed to convert more
horse-car lines over to electric operation would require the consolidation of many of
the city's smaller horse-car companies. More than two dozen companies had already
operated in and around city streets over the previous years, but by the end of 1892,
only two city companies -- the Detroit Citizens Street Railway, and the Fort Wayne
and Belle Isle Railway - remained.
Meanwhile, politics entered the Detroit transit arena upon the arrival of the 1890's,
when a successful Detroit businessman named Hazen S. Pingree, who had
established the Pingree and Smith Shoe Co., was elected mayor of Detroit. Pingree,
who by now had become a social reformist, challenged the streetcar companies' fare
policies, and fought the Detroit City Railway (which was renamed the Detroit Street
Railway in 1890) when the company tried again to obtain additional extended
franchise rights in order to electrify the city's streetcar lines.
Pingree felt that the original thirty-year franchise granted the company back in 1862
-- which would have expired in 1892 -- took precedence over the extended franchise
granted the company in 1879. The mayor considered the 1879 franchise agreement
invalid, and denied the company another new extension. However, the company --
which became the Detroit Citizens Street Railway in 1891 -- eventually prevailed in
the courts, and on November 12, 1893, the thirty-year (1879--1909) franchise
extension was upheld. But this was only the beginning of what was to become the
Mayor's ongoing feud with the city's streetcar companies.
It didn't take long for conflict to arise again, as the dispute between the mayor and
the private companies over fares escalated in January 1894. The fare being charged
by the two companies at that time was five cents, but a three cent fare (or eight
tickets for 25¢ -- commonly called the Workingman's Tickets) was charged during
the morning and evening rush hours. But Mayor Pingree felt that the five cent fare
being charged during non-rush hours was too high, and wanted the fare lowered to
three cents the entire day, along with free transfers.
When the streetcar owners refused, the mayor decided to round up a group
of investors to build and operate a competing system offering a three-cent fare. This
resulted in the formation of the Detroit Railway Company on November 21, 1894.
With Mayor Pingree's intervention, the new privately-owned company was awarded a
thirty-year franchise to build new lines, where the fare would be eight tickets for
25¢ between 5:45AM and 8:00PM, and 5¢ the remainder of the day. The agreement
also arranged for the city to maintain the company's tracks, and also included an
option for the city to purchase the lines at the expiration of the franchise. In mid-
December, the mayor himself signaled the beginning of construction by turning the
first shovel of dirt.
On July 8, 1895, with Mayor Pingree himself as motorman for a day, regular service
began on Warren and Forest Avenues when the "Crosstown & Belle Isle" line began
operations. It was the first of the so-called "3-cent lines" to be put into service by
the new Detroit Railway Company. Other "3-cent lines" soon followed, including
Fourteenth, Hastings, Oakland, Harper, Mt. Elliott, and a few others.
But unfortunately for the Mayor, the Detroit Railway Co. was reorganized within a
year, and later sold to the Detroit Electric Railway Company on July 29, 1896.
Many of the investors in this new company were also owners and investors in the
Detroit Citizens Street Railway, one of the same companies with which Pingree
had fought over fares. As a result, by January 1897, the Detroit Electric Railway
came under the full control of the "Citizens" Company.
The underhanded take-over of the Detroit Railway Company of course infuriated
the Mayor, and as a result, Pingree began to focus on an alternative plan, which
would authorize Detroit to own and operate all of the city's street railways, and offer
the three-cent fare city wide. This ongoing dispute Pingree had with the streetcar
companies would eventually become a thirty year long war between the city and the
private owners over municipal ownership of public transportation.
However, in 1897, Hazen S. Pingree was elected Governor of the State of Michigan,
where his campaign for city ownership and control of public transit would continue.
Under Governor Pingree, legislation was passed on March 24, 1899, which provided
for the city ownership of its street railway lines. This new legislation, known as The
McLeod Act, would authorize the City of Detroit to construct, acquire, maintain,
and operate a street railway system under the control of a three man Street Railway
Commission. One of the very first members to be appointed to this new Commission
included -- you guessed it -- Governor Pingree.
With the handwriting now on the wall, it appeared evident that a sale to the city of
the railway lines was inevitable. Negotiations soon began between the city's Street
Railway Commission, and the three remaining streetcar companies -- which by now
were all basically under the financial control of the Citizens Company. Plans were
being drawn-up to sell the rail lines and underlying properties to the City of Detroit.
Meanwhile, a group of prominent businessmen, including J.L. Hudson, opposed the
sale, fearing possible loss of taxes paid to the city from the streetcar companies. In
April 1899, they filed a court injunction to stop it.
But by early June 1899, it appeared that municipal ownership had basically become
a done deal, with a sale price of $16,800,000 in bonds agreed upon. This new city-
owned system was to be known as the Detroit Municipal Railway. However, on
July 5, 1899, Governor Pingree's dream of a municipally owned streetcar operation
in Detroit came to a halt when the Michigan Supreme Court declared The McLeod
Act unconstitutional. The city's take-over attempt of the street railway lines at that
time just wasn't to be.
With the municipal ownership of the streetcar system now an apparent dead issue,
the owners of the city's three remaining streetcar companies, along with the owners
of the outlying suburban operation (where the lines had been consolidated in 1892),
announced that all of the remaining streetcar systems in the Detroit area would be
consolidated into one new system.
Effective on December 31, 1900, the Detroit Electric Railway, the
Detroit, Fort Wayne and Belle Isle Railway, the Detroit Citizens
Street Railway, and the Detroit Suburban Railway were all
consolidated into one privately owned company. The new company
would now be called the Detroit United Railway (D.U.R.). For the
first time since 1865, all of the city's streetcar lines would now be
Detroit, Fort Wayne and Belle Isle Railway, the Detroit Citizens
Street Railway, and the Detroit Suburban Railway were all
consolidated into one privately owned company. The new company
would now be called the Detroit United Railway (D.U.R.). For the
first time since 1865, all of the city's streetcar lines would now be
owned by one company.
Although ten years of attempts by Hazen Pingree, as both Mayor and as Governor,
failed to result in the city owning and operating its own street railway system, the
dispute continued on for years. Even though Pingree never lived to see his dream
fulfilled -- he died of an illness in 1901 -- the well-loved Mayor had already planted
the seed in the mind of Detroiters that the municipal ownership of the city's transit
operation was the best policy for its citizens. But it would take another twenty more
years for the Pingree dream to become a reality.
Although ten years of attempts by Hazen Pingree, as both Mayor and as Governor,
failed to result in the city owning and operating its own street railway system, the
dispute continued on for years. Even though Pingree never lived to see his dream
fulfilled -- he died of an illness in 1901 -- the well-loved Mayor had already planted
the seed in the mind of Detroiters that the municipal ownership of the city's transit
operation was the best policy for its citizens. But it would take another twenty more
years for the Pingree dream to become a reality.
|
| A statue of Hazen Pingree, located at Woodward and Adams in Grand Circus Park in downtown Detroit, describes him as "The Idol of the People." Pingree died on June 18, 1901, in London, England, after returning from an African safari with then U.S. Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt. Hazen S. Pingree is buried in Detroit's Woodlawn Cemetery. |
For Comments and/or Suggestions, Please contact Site Owner at: admin@detroittransithistory.info
| The web-site which takes a look back at the history of public transportation in and around the City of Detroit. |
| DETROIT TRANSIT HISTORY |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| | | | | | | | |
| Car 325 was typical of the larger style cars purchased by the Detroit Citizens Street Railway when it converted its lines to electric power. (Schramm Collection Photo) |