StreetCar Page 1
Our city has the distinction of being one of the first (some say first) in Ohio to have electric street cars or trolleys
It is interesting to note that in many of the cities where electric lines for transportation were installed these were preceded by horse-drawn cars for public transportation. In fact, Mansfield's first trolley cars were converted horse-drawn cars with 15 horsepower motors installed.
Celebration for the opening of the Mansfield Electric Street Railway was held on July 4,1887 with a Mardigras and industrial parade. The celebration of this momentous occasion in 1887 contrasted greatly with another on June 7, 1937 when Robert J. Arris loaded the last street-car with newspaper reporters and a few die-hard electric line buffs and made the last run in Mansfield with old No. 51.
By 1887, Mansfield had reached the size where the taxi-type horse-drawn hacks were inadequate to haul the workers to the fast growing industries, shoppers downtown to the stores and the large numbers of people who needed transportation to and from the busy railroad stations.
An ordinance passed by the city council on March 30, 1887 granted permission and authority to construct and operate a city street electric railway to S. T. Dunham, his heirs and assigns, of New York City. In that year four and a half miles of track were laid in the city streets, five cars and necessary station equipment purchased and the line was in business. The July 4, 1887 celebration for the opening of the line took on all the fanfare that was normal for that day as everybody came downtown for such an occasion. professor Leon gave one of his famous rope walking exhibitions by crossing over main St. on the "high wire." The GAR, granges military organizations, civic societies and a grand display of fireworks topped off the special occasion.
The first trolley car was the main attraction with its two parallel wires overhead and a four-wheel trolley riding on top to conduct the current to the motor. The wheels and rails completed the electrical circuit. All expressed amazement that it could run and haul passengers. Electric lights were yet unknown in Mansfield.
The above picture was taken approximately one month after service began as the car came up main St. at Reed's corner. Only two men are Identified. The man in the foreground on the car step was U. S. Grant White who lived on Harker St. and helped in construction work on the track line. The motorman was John Hunt.
The first line was laid on West market St. (park Ave. West) to Douglas Ave. There was possibly some reason for this as the line ended in front of John Sherman's house (Sherman's estate included land between Sycamore and Penn Avenue on the north side of Park Ave. West).
Many persons would gather at the end of the line and marvel at what made the contraption run since the power of electricity in the gaslight age was too new for most to comprehend.
An item in the old Shield and Banner dated Aug. 13, 1887 admitted that the new fangled contraption had "caught on" in the city as it stated that "Nearly 1,000 people were hauled by Street Car No. 1 Wednesday, Aug. 10th, in 7 1/2 hours."
The first cars carried only a crew of one - the motorman. Passengers rode on benches along either side of the car. Fares were only five cents per person.
In later years when street care lines were laid to many parts of the city, and the spring-type trolley was in use, the "bad" boys of the town would climb on the back of the cars and haul the trolley pole off the contact wires to stop the car. When the motorman rushed to the rear of the car to catch the pranksters they would rush around and mount the car on the front. This see - saw game would continue until the police arrived to scare off the culprits. later, of course, a conductor was added to the crew to handle the "frogs", switches, change the trolley at the end of the line. and guard the rear against pranksters.
Styles of the trolley cars changed over the 50 years from the open air summer types through the plush intercity interurban of the middle 1930's.
