Springfield Traction Company
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Springfield Traction Company | |
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Overview | |
Locale | Springfield Metro |
Transit type | Streetcar |
Number of lines | 6 (or more) |
Headquarters | Springfield |
Operation | |
Train length | 1 |
Technical | |
System length | 23 miles (37 km) |
Springfield Traction Company was a company that operated surface Horse, Steam, and Electric Trams and Streetcars across the Springfield Metro from around 1869 to August 1937.
Lines run
The known lines the Springfield Traction Company ran, these lines went from the center of the city, now known as Park Central Square to the city limits in each cardinal directions.[1]
- Woodland Heights Line
- Nichols Street Line
- Park Avenue Line
- Atlantic Street Line
- Doling Park Line
- Broad Street Line
History
The original horse and mule powered street railway in Springfield, Missouri began operation around 1869. It operated on a line connecting the Square to the Commercial Street district along Boonville, then down Benton to what was then the passenger train depot.[2]
By 1929 the electric streetcar system covered what was then the entire city limits, giving citizens access to public transportation. Streetcar lines radiated in four directions from Park Central Square, creating a beehive of activity in the heart of the city.
In 1936, the Springfield Traction Company announced that the next year the electric streetcars would be replaced by gasoline-powered buses. To them, it seemed “the modern thing to do.” A final streetcar parade was held on August 2, 1937, with people cramming into the cars for one last ride.
References
- ^ "Springfield Traction Company Expands". thelibrary.org. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ "Past and Present of Greene County, Missouri • ca. 1914". thelibrary.org. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- Articles with short description
- Short description matches Wikidata
- Articles needing additional references from February 2018
- All articles needing additional references
- 1879 establishments in Missouri
- 1937 disestablishments in Missouri
- Defunct public transport operators in the United States
- Defunct companies based in Missouri
- American companies disestablished in 1937
- American companies established in 1869