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Paris Traction Co
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Open car 3 at the north end of the line at Reservoir Park in 1915
The Paris Traction Company (PTC) was incorporated in Feb 1905 and constructed its one 15077 foot single track north-south line (with three passing sidings) through downtown Paris which began operating in May 1907 using four open and two closed streetcars.
At the south end of the line was located the the Paris Interurban Car Company (which later became the Cummings Car Manufacturing Plant when the McGuire Cummings Manufacturing Company purchased it, building its last car in 1930). Paris was also the western end of the Paris and Terre Haute Traction Company - leased for 99 years on Mar 1 1907 by the Terre Haute Indianapolis and Eastern Traction Company (THIandE) which began operating passenger service on Oct 26 1907.
The Central Illinois Public Service Company (CIPSC) purchased the PTC in Jul 1912 for the planned extension of the Central Illinois Traction Company's rail interurban service from Charleston to Paris (rail extension never materialized but bus service did). Two new Cincinnati Car Company Birney streetcars took over all service in Jul 1919, joined with a displaced CIPSC Birney from Anna-Jonesboro when that short line was bused in 1925.
Automobiles and concrete highways started drawing away patronage and because of the operating loss, CIPSC petitioned the city for conversion to buses in August 1925. When the city insisted that all rail be removed, CIPSC continued operating the streetcars (only two were needed at any one time). However, all service ended suddently on a bitter cold winter night (22 degrees below zero) on Jan 23 1928 when the car barn containing the three Birneys was destroyed by fire.
The Indiana Railroad leased the THIandE in 1931 but abandoned the Terre Haute-Paris trackage on Jan 24 1932 because interurban patronage and freight service was operating at a deficit
The Paris Traction Company (PTC) was incorporated in Feb 1905 and constructed its one 15077 foot single track north-south line (with three passing sidings) through downtown Paris which began operating in May 1907 using four open and two closed streetcars.
At the south end of the line was located the the Paris Interurban Car Company (which later became the Cummings Car Manufacturing Plant when the McGuire Cummings Manufacturing Company purchased it, building its last car in 1930). Paris was also the western end of the Paris and Terre Haute Traction Company - leased for 99 years on Mar 1 1907 by the Terre Haute Indianapolis and Eastern Traction Company (THIandE) which began operating passenger service on Oct 26 1907.
The Central Illinois Public Service Company (CIPSC) purchased the PTC in Jul 1912 for the planned extension of the Central Illinois Traction Company's rail interurban service from Charleston to Paris (rail extension never materialized but bus service did). Two new Cincinnati Car Company Birney streetcars took over all service in Jul 1919, joined with a displaced CIPSC Birney from Anna-Jonesboro when that short line was bused in 1925.
Automobiles and concrete highways started drawing away patronage and because of the operating loss, CIPSC petitioned the city for conversion to buses in August 1925. When the city insisted that all rail be removed, CIPSC continued operating the streetcars (only two were needed at any one time). However, all service ended suddently on a bitter cold winter night (22 degrees below zero) on Jan 23 1928 when the car barn containing the three Birneys was destroyed by fire.
The Indiana Railroad leased the THIandE in 1931 but abandoned the Terre Haute-Paris trackage on Jan 24 1932 because interurban patronage and freight service was operating at a deficit
Courtesy the Stephen Scalzo collection
