Incorporated in 1887 by Prominent Citizens, the Watertown Street Railway brings Trolleys to City Streets

The Watertown Street Railway and its origins were the subject of a Watertown Daily Times article published on May 9, 1891, in anticipation of its imminent opening. You will note that many of the day’s prominent citizens were involved and that the railway company owned Glen Park, which was touted as the “Coney Island of Northern New York.” The article is informative and included here in its entirety, with minor editing to break up large blocks of text.

Electric Street Railway

Over three years have elapsed since a few enterprising citizens conceived the idea that a street railroad would be a great benefit to the city, even if proved to be a poor investment for the stockholders, and although it was conceded from the very beginning that the enterprise may not pay dividends the first few years, the promoters of the scheme organized a company and men who have a deep interest in the prosperity of the city planked down their hard cash to construct and operate such a road.

It was an enterprise that required unusual pluck and courage, and the energy and untiring efforts of the investors have established an institution in Watertown has been much talked about for the past three years, and has long been needed, but which until a few months ago has only been a matter of speculation and doubt.

Monday, however, will be a proud day for the Street Railway company and the citizens, for then the road will take on the form of reality and another institution will be established which will be a factor in the city’s growth and prosperity. The first car will be run over the road for the first time this afternoon or Monday on a trial trip, and within ten days the road will be carrying passengers, providing the test proves successful and nothing happens to interfere with present plans.

This announcement will be hailed with delight by the residents of Watertown who have manifested a deep interest in the enterprise ever since the scheme was first promulgated.  

The Watertown Street Railway company was incorporated Sept. 28, 1887, for the purpose of constructing, maintaining and operating a surface road from the intersection of Pearl and Water Streets in Juhelville, through the city to the village of Brownville. The capital stock was $40,000, and the incorporators were: A. D. Remington, C. R. Remington,  Wiggins & Goodale, Silas L. George, C. A. Hungerford, Frank L. Baker, F. A. Hinds, Moffett, Hodgkins & Clark, Mullin & Griffin, E. M. Gates, W. W. Conde, S. R. Ryan and D. C. Middleton.

In the fall of 1888 the city granted the company a franchise for one-tenth of one per cent of the receipts, and the same company is still continued in existence. Soon after the company was incorporated. Silas L. George bought up all the stock, excepting 100 shares, and intended to construct the road, but he struck a snag when he asked the old management of the R., W. & O. system to let them cross their tracks, and soon arrived at the conclusion that he did not desire to enter into a legal battle with that corporation.

Had the Rome road allowed me to cross their tracks without a legal fight,” said Mr. George, this morning, “I would have built the road and it would have been running a year ago.” 

While the R., W. & O. road was in fighting trim Mr. George didn’t care to tackle the job and was glad enough to unload all his stock to the present owners of the road who were willing to put their money into the enterprise and fight the Rome road, believing that their rights would finally be granted by the courts.

In September, 1890, the following stockholders interested in the present enterprise, purchased the stock; John C. Thompson, A. D. Remington, C. R. Remington, James B. Wise, E. W. Herrick, Watertown Steam Engine company, Taggart Bros., W. H. Smith, Mullin & Griffin, Ontario Paper Company, E. M. Gates, Anson R. Flower, G. B. Massey, G. Lord, F. W. Haydon, H. F. Inglehart, H. Copley, Geo. W. Wiggins, Edwin Bingham and W. H. Cole. They elected the following officers: A. D. Remington, president; S. F. Bagg, vice president; E. S. Goodale, secretary and treasurer. The directors are A. D. Remington, S. F. Bagg, E. S. Goodale, E. M. Gates, Joseph Mullin, Geo. B. Massey and John C. Thompson. 

The line from the city limits to Brownville, construction of which will be commenced next week, is under a different corporation, known as the Watertown and Brownville Street Railway Company. The stockholders are the same in both corporations, however, and the officers and directors of the city road will control the management of the Brownville road for the first year.

The capital stock of the Brownville road is $60,000, while that of the city road is $40,000. 

The entire length of both roads, when completed, will be about four and one-half miles. The line begins at the intersection of Pearl and Water Streets, crosses Sewall’s Island to High St., thence up High St. to State Street, through Public Square, down Court Street, across the bridge and thence to Brownville. 

Bright and early on the morning of the 23d day of last October, in the presence of Mayor Porter, Street Commissioner Adams, Joseph Mullin and Supt. W. H. Cole, the ground was broken on High Street just south of the railroad crossing, and the first work was begun. It was pushed until the latter part of December, when cold weather made it necessary to abandon the work of construction. Up to that time the rails had been laid from the starting point on High Street to the Oakland House on Court Street, and from Leray Street through the centre of Main Street as far as the railroad crossing. 

Soon after the road was commenced the managers of the street railway company attempted to make some arrangements with the Rome road, so that they could cross their tracks at grade, but the Rome road refused to consider their propositions and showed a disposition to prevent the construction of the street railroad, the managers of the latter corporation went into the courts to compel the Rome road to let them cross their tracks.

A referee was appointed, considerable evidence was taken, and the people anxiously looked forward to a favorable decision for the street railway company. The favorable decision came, but too late to be received with any enthusiasm, for in the meantime the R., W. & O. system was absorbed by the N. Y. C. & H. R. R. company and that deal put an end to the legal struggle for grade crossing, the Central management allowing the street railroad company all the privileges they asked. 

The present management of the R. W. & O. system officially granted the company permission a few weeks ago to cross their tracks in this city at grade, and then the work of construction was continued. The rails are now laid from the bridge at Factory Square, across the R. W. & O. tracks, up High Street, down Court and Main Streets as far as the railroad crossing. The crossings at Main, Court and High Streets, which the old management of the Rome road bitterly opposed in the courts were put in this week by the railroad employees, Supt. Jones having been directed by H. Walter Webb, to have the work done.

The Street Railway company were anxious to complete the road this week, and to accomplish that end they requested the Rome road to put in the crossings and send their bill. Thus it will be seen that the Rome road is now not only accommodating in allowing the grade crossings without legal controversy, but willing to furnish men and do the work.

From the bridge on Factory Street to Main Street fifty-two-pound Girder “L” rails of Bessemer steel have been used and in Main Street the ordinary “T” steel rails have been laid. The crossing for Factory Square is expected to be shipped from Brooklyn Monday and will be put in next week, so that the cars can run from the Factory Street bridge to the railroad crossing on Main Street. The line from the Factory Street bridge to the intersection of Pearl and Water Streets has not yet been constructed. 

Thirteen carloads of ties for the Watertown and Brownville Street Railway company are now being unloaded on the different branches of the R., W. & O. road between this city and Brownville, and work on this extension will probably be commenced a week from Monday. 

It is expected that the contract will be let Monday to have the dugway on Main Street widened from 15 to 25 feet and the highway changed at that point according to plans drawn by the street railway engineer, Geo. Ferris, and approved by the board of public works. The street cars will pass the dugway on the river side. 

Several firms are now figuring on a bridge to be constructed across Black River near C. R. Remington’s mill, so that passengers can reach Glen Park, owned by the Street Railroad company. The proposed bridge will be over 300 feet long and 10 feet wide. The contract for the construction of it will be let next week. 

The street car people have given A. Parker, of this city, the contract to build an addition to their car house on Court Street. It will be 80 feet long, and wide enough for two tracks. They will also build a shop 14 x 30 feet. 

Three motor cars are already here and equipped. They are elegantly fitted up with all the latest improvements and are similar to those in use on the Broadway surface road to New York. These cars are equipped with Eames Vaccum brake, will be illuminated with electricity. Two more cars have been ordered from New York and be delivered next month. Two “trailers,” or open cars, which will be attached to the motor cars, have also been ordered and will be shipped this month. 

It is an electric road run by what is known as the overhead or Trolley system, and is the only electric road in the country that is run by water power. A dynamo of 110 horse-power that will operate eight cars has been put in at the Eames Vaccum Brake works for the street railway use, and is now ready to send out its powerful current.

Running this dynamo by waterpower is an experiment, and its operation will be watched with a deal of interest. The trolley wire has been stretched from the Main Street crossing to High Street, so that portion of the road is fully completed. As soon as the poles arrive for High and Factory Streets, the trolley wire will be stretched as far as the intersection of Pearl and Water Streets. 

The Edison General Electric company, of New York, is doing the electric part of the city road by contract, and also has the job for the electric work on the Watertown and Brownville road. The work is being done under the supervision of T. J. McComber, their expert, who was formerly a resident of Watertown. 

The Brownville extension will have a “turnout” at the county – house (poorhouse), one at the Glen Park entrance, another one near the Ontario mill and one in Brownville. 

There will be 5 cents in the city and 5 cents additional to Glen Park and Brownville. 

The time-table has not yet been decided upon, for the reason that experiments must first be made. One car will leave the bridge of Factory Square early enough to reach the Watertown Steam Engine ships at 7 o’clock in the morning, and another car will leave the engine shops so as to reach Factory Square at 7 o’clock. The cars will run the same way at noon and 6 o’clock, and up to 11 o’clock at night or until the opera is over on occasions of entertainments. 

The cars will be run fully a week to test the road before any passengers are carried. 

The conductors and motor men have not yet been selected. Supt. Cole says that there are 52 applications for these 9 positions. 

George Adams, Jr., will be bookkeeper for the road. In company with Secretary Goodale, he has been in Syracuse this week, investigating and learning the system of book-keeping used by the street railway companies there.