USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Wilkes-Barre > A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania : from its first beginnings to the present time, including chapters of newly-discovered early Wyoming Valley history, together with many biographical sketches and much genealogical material. Volume IV > Part 50
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White Haven did not reach the valley until spring of 1867 and on May 27th of that year the first train of what was afterward to become Wilkes-Barre's most important link with the outside world steamed into a station, located between Northampton and South streets, gladly acclaimed by the populace.
A narrative of the race of two early railroad systems across the mountains to reach Wilkes-Barré is not complete without mention of the fact that before either reached the valley as an all-rail route, the Lackawanna and Bloomsburg railroad had been opened between Scranton and Kingston.
It became evident to the owners of real estate on the west side of the Sus- quehanna river that an outlet was necessary for the coal which was known to abound there. The canal on that side of the river came no farther up than Nanticoke, and the projected railroads on the opposite side would not be avail- able for the transportation of coal mined there. Under these circumstaces capitalists and owners of coal lands on the West Side conceived and put in execution the project of constructing a railroad which would afford the desired outlet for this coal, and thus greatly enhance the value of their lands.
On the 5th of April, 1852, by an act of Assembly a charter was granted for a road between Scranton, Luzerne county, and Bloomsburg, Columbia county, fifty-six miles, with authority to extend the same to Danville, twelve miles. By a supplementary act passed March 3d, 1853, a further extension of twelve miles to Northumberland or Sunbury was authorized, making a total length of eighty miles. The authorized capital of the road and its extensions was $1,400 .- 000, and the road was subsequently bonded for $2,200,000 more.
The company was organized at Kingston, April 16, 1853, and William Swetland was chosen president, Thomas F. Atherton secretary, and Charles D. Shoemaker, treasurer. In 1855, William C. Reynolds became president, William Swetland vice-president, Payne Pettebone treasurer, and H. Woodhouse, secretary. The first directors were Selden T. Scranton, Samuel Benedict, Stephen B. Jenkins, Amos Y. Smith, Thomas F. Atherton, William Swetland, Samuel Hoyt, George Peck, George W. Woodward, Henderson Gaylord, Mordecai W. Jackson and John R. Grotz.
The grading of the road was commenced at Scranton, in 1854, and on June 24, 1856, the first train ran from Scranton to Kingston. In 1858 the road was opened to Rupert, connecting with the Catawissa road, and in 1860 to Danville and Northumberland.
This road was consolidated with the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western in 1872, and it is now known as the Bloomsburg branch of that road.
The shops of the Bloomsburg division are located at Kingston.
Books were opened simultaneously in Wilkes-Barré and Scranton on June 2, 1852, and but little trouble seems to have been found in securing sufficient capital to construct the first link of the road, intended to join the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western at Scranton, with Kingston where, if desired, connection could be made with the Ashley planes route of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation company on the Wilkes-Barré side.
An idea of the weight and stamina of rolling stock of this pioneer railway venture into the Wyoming Valley may be gained from the following account appearing in the Record of the Times of October 15, 1856:
"The cars of the Lackawanna and Bloomsburg Railroad were attacked by a bull below the Wyoming depot on Saturday morning. His Bullship was not on the track but as the locomotive approached, he jumped on, and made at it with lowered head. The cowcatcher of the locomotive
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was broken and the cars forced off the track. Part of the passengers returned and part got on the tender and went on to Scranton. We have not heard the extent of damage, but no doubt it was greater to the cars than to the bull."
In addition to the coming of another railroad and the erection of a hotel then classed as the last word in size, comfort and convenience, the year 1866 was notable for civic improvements on a larger scale than had ever before been attempted.
The growth of passenger traffic on the Lackawanna and Bloomsburg railroad brought several omnibuses into service between the Kingston station and the Public square. In 1859 three of these were in operation. They were profitable to the extent of turning the attention of local investors to the thought of providing horse drawn street cars as a means of locomotion in keeping with the most modern methods of transportation then in use in the country. As a consequence, the Wilkes-Barre and Kingston Passenger Railway company was projected and application was made to the legislature for authority to organize. On April 14, 1859 such legislative authority was granted, Winthrop W. Ketcham. Henry M. Fuller, Garrick M. Harding, L. D. Shoemaker, Asa R. Brundage, Ezra B. Chase, Payne Pettebone, John Urquhart, P. C. Gritman, A. C. Laning, Washington Lee, Jr., George P. Steele, Charles Bennet, S. N. Puterbaugh,
EARLY HORSE CAR ON THE WILKES-BARRE AND KINGSTON RAILWAY
Thomas F. Atherton, E. S. Goodrich, A. H. Reynolds, Samuel Wadhams, Charles F. Ingham, Col. Charles Dorrance and Alexander Garnhamn being named as "commissioners to open books, receive subscriptions and organize a company."
The capital stock was fixed at five hundred shares of $50. par value.
The company was authorized to build a bridge across the Susquehanna, use certain streets of Kingston and Wilkes-Barre, after obtaining authority from the borough councils for that purpose, and to widen the highway over the Kingston flats. It was not until December 7th of that year that the commission- ers seem to have acted. Stock subscriptions came slowly. Much agitation on the part of objectors to the venture secured an amendment to the charter under date of February 12, 1860, confining the space used on the Kingston flats to twelve feet and forbidding the company from ever using the road "for the purpose of carrying anthracite coal." As was the case with many other projected improve- ments, public and private in scope, the undertaking marked time while energies
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of the community were occupied by the stirring events of the Civil war. The year 1866 brought Alfred H., Jacob D. and Charles S. Coon to Wilkes-Barré from Carbondale. They were contractors and, realizing that the transportation problems of large population centers would be a source of profit to those who solved them, the three brothers bought up a majority interest in the stock of the proposed line. They then reorganized the corporation on April 21, 1866, Alfred H. Coon becoming president, Jacob D. and Charles S. Coon being elected to the board of directors with William R. Maffet, Henry M. Hoyt, Mifflin Hannum and Charles D. Foster. Mr. Foster was elected secretary and Mr. Maffet, treasurer of the rejuvenated enterprise. The work of grading and track laying was almost immediately begun. A single track sufficed, except over the floor of the old covered bridge where, by arrangement with the Susquehanna Bridge company, a double track was permitted. Three cars of the two horse type were at first purchased and the first car to carry passengers reached Wilkes-Barré from Kingston on June 25, 1866.
The company laid tracks on the four sides of the Square and then petitioned the borough council for additional franchise grants.
By successive ordinances of the borough, permission was granted to extend the lines over East Market to the Canal, to double track North Main street from the Square to North street, over South Main to Dana street (then the southerly boundary of the borough) and over Northampton street to the original Lehigh Valley railroad station.
All of these lines were placed in service as rapidly as funds for constructing them could be raised. In October, 1867, a fourth car was purchased and greater regularity thus given to the schedule of operations.
In July, 1869, when the first type of cars which had been used on the South Main street line gave place to a more modern design of conveyance, the Record of the Times had this to say of the venture:
"The street railway is a growing institution in usefulness and popularity. To accommodate travel on the Main street line, a switch is being put in at Woodville ( a locality near Ross street ) so that cars can pass, thus facilitating travel. The rapid growth of population in South Wilkes- barre and the 3rd ward renders this increase of accommodations necessary."
The success of the first surface car system naturally lent encouragement to the promotion of other companies seeking franchises.
By an act approved February 13, 1868, the Wyoming Valley Passenger Railway was incorporated. This secured permission to use North River street in Wilkes-Barré and thence through numerous smaller municipalities to Pittston. The right to bridge the Susquehanna at the latter place and return down the river through West Pittston and Kingston to intersect with the lines of the original company at Kingston were outstanding features of this corporation's franchise. The fact that men of the calibre of Abram Nesbitt, Hon. Henry M. Hoyt, Charles Parrish and Col. E. B. Harvey were named among the incorporators of this line lent some assurance to the belief that this rather ambitious undertaking would be put through. But it was deemed impractical to operate the lines mentioned with horses, and construction was held in abeyance until electricity added incentive to the promotion of inter-urban systems. This was likewise true of franchises granted the Shawnee Railroad and Bridge company by act of April 15, 1869, which specifically forbade the company from using "steam to operate its cars in the boroughs of Wilkes-Barre and Plymouth;" of a franchise granted May 18, 1871, to the Plainsville and Wilkes-Barré Railway company as well as to the
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Wilkes-Barré and Inman's Hill Passenger Railway, incorporated June 2, 1871. The only road, in addition to the Wilkes-Barre-Kingston line which actually operated in this period was the Coalville Passenger Railway company, whose charter is dated April 18, 1869. Charles Parrish, Lewis Landmesser, Charles A. Miner, Samuel Black, Thomas F. Atherton, Edward S. Loop, William R. Maffet, John Sturdevant, Calvin Wadhams and Peter Pursel were among the incor- porators and officers of this company. Up until the formation of the company a passenger stage line, operated by Coons and Burns, made five round trips daily between the old Exchange hotel on the Public square and Coalville, or Ashley as it is now called. The charter of the new company gave it the right to lay a single track over Washington street in Wilkes-Barré to Hazle avenue and over the latter thoroughfare to the Lehigh and Susquehanna railway station in Ashley.
With Charles A. Miner as president of the company and Charles Erath as superintendent of construction, work of laying rails was begun. On December 20, 1869 the road was opened, but objection having been made by certain residents of a portion of South Washington street to the laying of tracks in front of their properties, the road left Washington street at East South street, then followed
ONE OF THE FIRST CARS ON THE COALVILLE LINE
that thoroughfare to South Main street where its city terminus was located. When the name Coalville was changed to Ashley by the incoporation of a borough of the latter name in December, 1870, the corporate title to the railway company was not changed and, until the period of consolidation of lines after electricity was introduced, it continued to be called the "Coalville line."
In 1870, the Messrs Coon sold their controlling interest in the Kingston line to Charles Parrish, who also secured a controlling interest in the Coalville line. In December, 1870, the Parrish control was sold to Col. William J. Harvey, H. H. Harvey and A. J. Davis who later purchased the franchises of several other companies whose lines had not yet been constructed. According to the federal census of 1880, the combined Kingston and Coalville lines aggregated something over seven miles of trackage, owned eleven cars, twenty-eight horses and employed nineteen men. With Colonel Harvey as president of the con- solidated lines, the company gradually extended its system and laid the founda- tions of a valuable property. In 1874 it erected the building, corner Hazle
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avenue and Douglas (now High street) at present occupied as the Salvation Army Industrial Home for men. The lower portion of the building was used for car barns and a portion of the upper floors as offices. The remainder of the building was leased for hotel purposes and was known as the Charter House.
In 1883 the company purchased the brick building on Northampton street, Wilkes-Barré, which had originally been occupied as a public market, but which then had been used for three years as an armory for the newly organized Ninth Regiment, N. G. P. The Coalville line was not a paying proposition in its early years and fell into great disrepute with the communities it attempted to serve. At one time its tracks were ordered removed from Washington street, but a compromise was effected and the road continued to operate until the electric age dawned and the period of unusual activity in the construction of "trolley" systems arrived.
In the year 1886 men ceased to regard the electric motor as a curiosity and put the erstwise toy to serious work. Frank J. Sprague in 1885 designed a practical motor to propel cars of the New York Elevated system and from that as a starting point, the tremendous expansion of electric traction may be said to date. In 1887 the Cedar and Pittston Avenue railway company in Scranton adopted the Van Depoele motor as did several other cities, but when in February, 1888, a line of twelve and one-half miles in length at Richmond demonstrated that it could negotiate hills with ease by the use of overhead wires, the problem was solved. Owners of lines radiating from Wilkes-Barré maintained an active interest in these early traction experiments. Many readers of this Chapter will recall how the old horse car line to Kingston kept the feet of passengers warm on cold wintry days by sprinkling some six or eight inches of straw over the floor of the conveyance, and how some degree of heat was maintained in the Coalville cars by small coal burning stoves.
With the thought of doing away with these and other inconveniences and with an object lesson of a motorized line in successful operation in Scranton before them, several citizens of the community advocated adapting electricity to local lines. Among these was Henry H. Dert who was then promoting the sale of a large number of building lots in the 16th ward on a tract of land owned by him. Associated with him were J. W. Hollenback, B. H. Carpenter, Wm. B. Dow, A. C. Robertson, Edward H. Chase and W. E. Shupp. These applied for a charter for the Wilkes-Barré and Suburban Street Railroad company under date of September 21, 1887.
Henry H. Derr became president of this corporation, J. W. Hollenback, vice-president and Christian Walter, treasurer. In October of the same year construction of the line was begun, a power house being erected near the corner of Pennsylvania avenue and Chester street.
On March 19, 1888, the engines of the power house were started and the first trip of an electric car in Wilkes-Barré was begun. The car cautiously pro- ceeded up Pennsylvania avenue through the Brookside district and when the curve at the corner of that thoroughfare and Chestnut street was successfully negotiated the trip was deemed successful. The car then proceeded over Chest- nut street to near the City hospital where heavy ice was encountered on the tracks and a continuation of the triumphant voyage was deferred until the next day. Some thirty or forty breaker boys accepted an invitation from the company to ride on this trip, being the first patrons of the new enterprise.
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Formally opened on March 31st, the line began a prosperous career and shortly extended its service to Plains. In 1891, the company leased a large tract of land for the purpose of establishing the first recreation park the community could boast. This tract, first known as Suburban park, was subsequently deeded to the city by its owner, J. W. Hollenback, and is now an extensive link in the chain of the municipal park system, under the name of Hollenback park. The opening of the North street bridge on September 1, 1888, gave impetus to still another electrically operated road which, after various delays, was chartered as the Wilkes-Barre and West Side Railway. A power house, now used as a storage barn by the present Traction system, was constructed on Pierce street and the road began operations on December 7, 1889 with John B. Reynolds, president, Stephen B. Vaughn, vice-president, Pierce Butler, treasurer and Charles B. Eberle, superintendent. Many other corporations secured franchise for the development of what are now portions of the electric traction system of the Wyoming valley, but further reference to this development is not deemed important to the period of history now under consideration. To G. Mortimer Lewis, Esq., of Wilkes-Barré seems to belong the initiative of consolidation which was to overtake these many separately managed units in 1891. He first became interested in the Coalville line and on February 9th of that year associated himself with John J. Patterson, Robert McMeen, J. Howard Neely of Mifflintown; John Graham of Newville and W. L. Sadler of Carbondale in organizing the Wilkes-Barré and Wyoming Valley Traction company, author- ized to issue $5,000,000 of capital stock. By gradual stages this company ac- quired control of stock or leases of other lines and, with capital furnished largely by non-resident holders of its securities, began a wide development of traction possibilities. A line to Plymouth, via the West Side, was opened April 18, 1892. The first car reached West Pittston, August 22nd of the same year. On May 11, 1893 the Nanticoke line was opened.
It was not until the construction of the Wilkes-Barré, Dallas and Harvey's Lake line that further mergers were possible. This company was organized in 1894 with John B. Reynolds as its promoter and later he became its first president. Meeting opposition in securing rights of way, this company, in 1896, changed its charter to that of a steam railroad under the name of the Wilkes-Barre and Northern Railroad company so as to secure the privilege of eminent domain. In November, 1896 the road was completed to Dallas and the cars, drawn by small locomotives, began regular trips to connect at Luzerne with the older system. In June, 1897 the extension to Harvey's lake was completed and opened, as was the Oneonta hotel near its western terminus. The present writer, then a visitor to Wilkes-Barré for the first time, was a guest of the company on this dedicatory trip. The road was brought into the electric class in July, 1898 by the erection of a power house at Luzerne when the original charter name of the corporation was resumed.
It was not until June 1, 1899, that a secondary stage in the merger and management of the traction interests of the valley resulted. On that date it was announced that Philadelphia capitalists, headed by John B. Rigg and Robert N. Carson had secured control of the Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming Valley company. John Graham continued as general manager of the system and succeeded Mr. Reynolds as president of the Harvey's Lake line, thus indicating that new
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interests were involved in that also. He was succeeded in July, 1899 by Thomas A. Wright, formerly of the Suburban line who, from the start of his career, hoped to see the control of the whole service re- vert again to local ownership and man- agement. This hope was not consumma- ted until ten years 388 later when the pres-
sent corporation, which the charter of November 26, 1909, designated as the Wilkes-Barré Rail- MODERN MULTIPLE TRAIN OF THE WILKES-BARRE RAILWAY COMPANY way company, was formed with Abram Nesbitt, president, Thomas A. Wright, general manager, Charles W. Laycock, secretary-treasurer, and a board whose additional members were composed of F. M. Kirby, Abram G. Nesbitt and Harry B. Schooley.
This company leased, for a period of eight hundred years and at an annual rental sufficient to cover interest and dividends on securities of the older company, all its rights and privileges. Some eighteen constituent lines were included in the present operation and with the exception of a period of fifteen months when the company successfully combatted an illegal strike waged by many of its employees, it has prospered and has given its patrons one of the best equipped and best managed services to be found in the country at large.
Recurring to events of the year 1866, it is to be noted that a progressive spirit which seemed then in the air was further exemplified by the construction of the community's first cobble stone pavement which followed the laying of street car tracks on West Market street from the Square to the old covered bridge. This step toward relieving the streets of the Borough from a long estab- lished reputation of being "seas of mud" at seasonable times, was considered an especially gratifying stroke of initiative. The work was completed and West Market Street, then the busiest mart in Northeastern Pennsylvania, was re- lieved of its barriers on June 27th. The bustle of energy and extension was noticeable everywhere. The Borough's original town plot, bounded by North and South Streets respectively, no longer limited this activity. Franklin street was pushed through orchards and farm land to the southward to rival Main street. Across the old canal bed to the eastward, the Heights district, then as now the logical residence section of the community, was being plotted and became the site of many fine residences. Street railroad activities gave promise of open- ing up new residential sections in various portions of the valley. The boom was on, and Wilkes-Barré in that year felt itself ready to entertain the first state convention in its history.
On March 4, 1861 had occurred the organization of the Luzerne County Medical Society, an organization which has maintained a distinguished existence
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since that date and, in 1912 erected its own home on South Franklin street. The charter members of this organization were Doctors P. C. H. Rooney of Hazleton, N. P. Moody of Lehman, H. Ladd, Charles Marr, William Green, B. H. Troop, Scranton, George Urquhart, W. F. Dennis, E. R. Mayer, Charles Wagner, E. B. Miner, Wilkes-Barré, R. H. Tubbs, Kingston, Stephen Lawton, Pittston, A. L. Cressler and J. R. Casselbery, Conyngham. The first roster of officers of the Society included: Doctors B. H. Troop, president, E. R. Mayer and A. L. Cressler, vice-presidents, George Urquhart, secretary and R. H. Tubbs, treasurer.
These gentlemen, seconded in their efforts by the Borough council and a committee of citizens, invited the Pennsylvania State Medical Society to assemble in Wilkes-Barré. The response was even greater than had been anticipated and, on June 13, 1868, many private homes were opened to the overflow of guests from the Wyoming Valley hotel. If the hospitality of the community could be said to have had a beginning, it was upon this occasion. Entertainment was on a lavish scale and the three hundred or more guests assembled from all parts of the Commonwealth spent what leisure hours a three day's program permitted in visiting historic spots and in catching glimpses of the development of anthracite.
On June 27th, which date happened to coincide with the completion of the Borough's first paving job, all the Judges of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth were banqueted at the same hostlery. As this affair antedated the Volstead act, the wine and toast lists vied with each other in extent.
In any community whose rapid growth is noticeable after a protracted period of stagnation, a fire of generous proportions may sometimes serve a use- ful purpose. That was true of the "Great Fire" which all but swept West Market street bare on April 9, 1867. This conflagration has been described in a previous Chapter. It wiped out nearly two score rattletrap buildings, many of them relics of the first building operations of the community and, while it worked individual hardships, new brick structures of a type which still survives, soon arose in place.
What was to prove the most ambitious, as well as the most costly public pro- ject up to that time in the history of Luzerne county, was undertaken in 1867. From the earliest years of the century, the stone jail at the corner of South Washington and East Market streets had served both county and borough as a place of confinement for prisoners. Other public buildings on the Square, contemporaries of the jail, had given place to Luzerne's third court house, as has been noted. The dilapidated and venerable stone building, variously re- ferred to in prints of the time as the "bastile," "calaboose" and given other titles even more opprobrious, alone remained as an unsafe, unsanitary reminder of the past.
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