Algona is known for its wetlands, herons, and other wildlife. Interurbans most heavily served the areas skirting the shores of lake erie. Electric interurbans and the american people also available in docx and mobi. It developed between 1904 and 1912 from two separate electric railways that were merged as one.
Long before hybrid cars, suvs, jetblue, and even amtrak, travel between american cities occurred largely by rail. The electric interurban railway by fischer, louis engelmann. The extent of this development varied widely, with some states getting extensive networks and others having. This is a list of interurban railways in north america. Publication date 19 topics streetrailroads, theses. The three major interurbans entering chicago were not typical interurban lines, enabling them to survive well beyond the 1930s, when most interurban lines were abandoned. Overall, if you would like to learn much more about the interurban industry and its rise and fall consider picking up a copy of the electric interurban railways in america by authors george hilton and john due. Graves organized the dubuque street railway and operated the first horsecar from the levee at the foot of jones street to.
Most interurban railways in north america were electrified using lowvoltage direct current systems popular with street railways, enabling interurbans to use urban. The community developed from homestead settlers in the 1870s and 1880s. South shore line america s last interurban continues to operate between chicago and south bend, indiana. Download railways and industry in the western valley in pdf and epub formats for free. With the industrial and technological revolution around the turn of the 20th century, america s interurban railway developed so fast and connected so many of us, it must have seemed like the future had suddenly arrived out of nowhere.
Electric railway promotion in texas, southwestern historical quarterly 84 july 1980. The interurban era provides an interesting history of the interbank system in north america. By 1930, most interurbans in north america were gone, with few surviving into the. Over time, improved roads and affordable cars caused ridership on public transportation to drop rapidly. Its a little dry, but if youre interested in the electric interurban railways that briefly flourished in the united states in the early twentieth century, then just as quickly withered and died by the middle of that century, this book is a mustread. The texas electric railway companys revenue gradually declined and the last interurban car ran on december 31, 1948. The next lines, one to jeffersontown and the other to prospect opened in 1904. The interurban provided vital transportation links between the city and countryside. The electric interurban railways in america george w.
This is the authoritative book on the subject, interesting written roughly a halfcentury ago but still in print. The company also controlled the indianapolis street railway. It was developed by and affiliated with the des moines street railways which ran it for a time. One of the more serious issues is that photo captions and text run together making the kindle version difficult to read at times.
Comparing electric interurban railways and steam railroads. The rise of the automobile and motor transport caused the industry to decline after world war i, and. Due 1960 stanford university press, stanford, california original 1960 first printing this is not an exlibrary book and it is not a reprint edition binding is decorated gray cloth hardcover with decoration and titles in black on cover and spine. Download pdf electric interurbans and the american people book full free. Pdf download the electric interurban railways in america. For a time, interurban railways were the fifthlargest industry in the united states. Beginning in 1862, the sp and its predecessors operated local steamdrawn ferrytrain passenger service in the east bay on an expanding system of lines, but in 1902 the key system started a competing system of electric. The city became the hub of an electric rail network that spread throughout the willamette valley. The electric interurban railways in america, by george w. Some idea of what they were like in the early days can perhaps be sampled in the isle of man by the manx electric tramway opened in 1893 and still running today. No industry rose as rapidly and collapsed as quickly as the electric interurban industry in america. Lines with some interurban charactistics lines which did not fully meet the authors definitions of an interurban in the book the electric interurban railways in america, but nevertheless could be considered as interurban railways. Railways and industry in the western valley book also available for read online, mobi, docx and mobile and kindle reading. Most were built in the early 1900s, with commuters generating most of the revenue.
Roger grant explores the rise and fall of this fleeting form of transportation that started in the early 1900s and was defunct just 30 years later. Your knowledge can inspire others, make them reading a reserve. Electric railways no longer had access to integrated and thus inexpensive sources of power. Media in category interurbans in the united states the following 104 files are in this category, out of 104 total. The electric interurban railways in america authors. Interurbans in the united states wikimedia commons. Read the electric interurban railways in america online, read in mobile or kindle. It had two main lines, one east from des moines to colfax, a resort area.
Official interurban map issued by the terre haute, indianapolis and eastern traction company. Berkshire street railway canaan ctpittsfieldnorth adams 19101932 replacement bus companies. Perfect for railfans, electric interurbans and the american people is a comprehensive contribution for those who love the flanged wheel. Early in the 20th century, ohio became the heartland of the electric interurban railway, and cleveland emerged as one of its foremost centers. Electric interurban trains grew out of citybased networks of electric streetcars, commonly known as trolleys. A lucid synthesis of an industrys rise, demise, and impacts on its myriad stakeholders. The paperback of the the electric interurban railways in america by george w. Its a great read for anyone interested in the story of electric interurban railways. The book contains articles about railway cars, passenger routes, freight services.
Louis railway was an electric interurban railway which briefly operated independently in central michigan during the early 20th century. Pdf railways and industry in the western valley download. The interurban rail service was vigorous and successful for several decades until the automobile became more affordable and was accepted as a primary mode of transportation. Professor roger grant talked about the history of american transportation and the rise of interurban electric rail at the end of the 19th century and. Twenty electric interurban railways operated during the early twentieth century in the great plains. Electric interurbans and the american people pdf epub download. In addition to its advanced streetcar system, nashville was also served by two interurban railway systems. The electric interurban railways in america, it is possible to tells your family, friends and also soon about yours ebook. Research and modeling of interurban railways in the united states 3d drawing 3d printing of scale models. Chapter six street railways and electric interurbans 1920. Completion of the seattletacoma interurban railway in 1902 brought growth to the community. Built with the idea of attracting shortdistance passenger traffic and light freight, the interurbans were largely constructed in the early 1900s. The book gives the history of the interurban railways from their birth in the early 1900s to the very fast decline of the 1930s and 1940s. From a peak of over 16,000 miles, it was practically extinct by the mid1930s.
They operated independently due to electrical differences, requiring a change of cars, at davenport, to complete a trip from its end. Hilton has written a comprehensive analysis of the rise and fall of the interurban railways. Railway, the richmond street and interurban railway, and the indianapolis coal traction company were predecessor companies. Electric interurban railways in america by george w. These interurban electric railway lines were typically built using standard gauge 4 feet 8 12 inches track, allowing freight cars to be interchanged with the main line railways. The electric interurban railways in america book, 1960. One of the most colorful yet neglected eras in american transportation history is recreated in this definitive history of the electric interurbans. Subsequent routes were built to okolona 1905, orell 1907, and fern creek 1908. List of interurban railways in north america wikipedia. Transit companies nationwide began to electrify their lines following the successful installation of a socalled sprague system in richmond, virginia, in 1888. Grant explores the rise and fall of a fleeting form of transportation that started in the early 1900s and was defunct just 30 years later. The electric interurban railways in america by george hilton.
The interurban or radial railway is a type of electric railway, with streetcarlike light electric selfpropelled railcars which run within and between cities or towns. Only the iowa traction company in mason city, iowa, and the south shore line running between chicago and south bend still operate. Pdf download railways and industry in the western valley. The east bay electric lines were a unit of the southern pacific railroad that operated electric interurban type trains in the east bay region of the san francisco bay area.
The electric interurban railways in america by hilton, george woodman. Due, the electric interurban railways in america stanford university press, 1960. Portlands first interurban line, the portland sellwood and milwaukie railway, was constructed in 1890 and it was the first of several interurban lines that would serve portland and the willamette valley. With the industrial and technological revolution around the turn of the 20th century, americas interurban railway developed so fast and connected so many of us, it must have seemed like the future had suddenly arrived out of nowhere. American libraries canadian libraries universal library community texts project gutenberg biodiversity heritage library childrens library. The book is loaded with maps, statistics, graphs, and charts. The down side of the kindle version is that it needs some editing. At the end of the 19th century, portland led the nation in the development of interurban electric railways. Elsewhere, the term was not used or did not have the same meaning. Terre haute, indianapolis and eastern traction company. Lines which did not fully meet the authors definitions of an interurban in the book the electric interurban railways in america, but nevertheless could be considered as interurban railways. It was the site of a failed attempt to introduce alternating current to the interurban scene the company incorporated on april 10, 1900, with the intention of constructing a new line north from lansing through st. On april 30, 1889, nashville became one of the earliest cities served by electric street railways, developing a 70mile system by 1915.
Electric interurbans and the american people available for download and read online in other for. The electric interurban railways in america george. Roger grant has produced a fine social history of america s electric interurbans, exploring the relationship between people and those railway. All were opened primarily as passenger carriers, although many survived as freight railways after passenger service ceased. Rockford railway was formed by the consolidation of street railway companies that dated back to a mulecar operation organized in 1880. The last interurban line in the state, the indiana railroad indianapolis to fort wayne closed in 1941. By 1905, 600 volts had become the industrywide standard. Pdf the electric interurban railways in america download. Cummings historical background although the portland lewiston interurban did not come into being until 1914, its history began 12 years earlier in 1902, when the first electric railway link be tween portland and lewiston was. Roger grant has produced a fine social history of america s electric interurbans, exploring the relationship between people and those railway enterprises. Electric interurban railways the handbook of texas online. Electric interurbans and the american people pdf epub. The light rail interurbans used selfpropelled trolley cars resembling standard streetcars. They were prevalent in north america between 1900 and 1925 and were used primarily for passenger travel between cities and their surrounding suburban and rural communities.
Roster of preserved north american electric railway cars. Download the electric interurban railways in america ebook free in pdf and epub format. Street railways and electric interurbans to 1920 115 dubuque in 1867, when dubuque citizens voted to allow streets to be used for public transportation, the city was the large t in iowa. Most interurban railways in north america were electrified using lowvoltage direct current systems popular with street railways, enabling interurbans to use urban street railway systems with ease. The electric interurban railways in america by george w. In 1915, 15,500 miles 24,900 km of interurban railways were operating in the united states. Interurbans encyclopedia of cleveland history case.
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