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4 THE OSHAWA TIMES, Thursdey, May 9, 1963 Oshawa Among Early Electric Rail Towns By RON D Electric vt apg a fairly recent development in the trans- ion world -- even though rough trackage and =" maze of wires on King in downtown Oshawa gout look it. The first commercial electric railway in the United States -- the East Cleveland street rail- way -- didn't come into exist- ence until 1884. The "third rail' system had first been used five years before. An electric railway oper- ated during the summer of 1885 at the Canadian National Ex- hibition grounds in Toronto. The current from a_generat- ing station was carried via an everhead wire and the track itself was used to carry the re- turn circuit. In 1889, a lad named Leo Daft @sed overhead wires carrying eurrent to power "electric" ears. His experiment took place at Orange, New Jersey. FAST DEVELOPMENT Electrification came fast and influenced both the size of cities (speedy transit encouraged sub- erbanization) and the location and servicing of industry. Oshawa was not far behind. Por on May 3, 1894, the Osh- awa Vindicator reported: -. Captain Carter's confer- ence with the town fathers last week . . . the use of Simcoe street given the railway com- y for an electric line with ranches to the different fac- tories." Continues the Vindicator... "Giving the company right ef way over Simcoe street they (a town council committee) were saving the cost of right of way for much of the whole Hine, saving fencing and grad- ing, and overcoming some diffi- culties in engineering on the second section between Ed- mondson's Mill and the Grand Trunk track." ". . . The committee agreed to $6000 for the complete line to the lake (Ontario). The line on Simcoe street is to stand for) the first section, $2000 to be paid when completed. "The branches to Pedlar's Roofing Works, McLaughlin's Carriage Works (King street), Mr. Knee's tannery, Williams Piano Works, Campbell and White's Mill, 'Coulthard - Scott Co. Works, Hare's Foundry and the Malleable Iron Works, to stand for the second section, $2000, to be paid on completion in '94; and $2000 for the line to ee to be completed June BEST PROPOSAL ", , . Mayor Cowan thought the agreement under considera- tion the best scheme yet pro- posed, The town would get a better service under it at less cost. The company seemed anxious to build. Personally he was opposed to the line on Sim- coe street but would advance no objections if it was cnsidered pend the general good to have it there. "Oshawa would be the only town in Canada of like size to have such a line. . . » Mr. Fowke objected to the line on King street to reach the factories west of the creek, and moved that the clause giv- ing the company the option of building a line on that street be struck out. Freight could be hauled over the line on Duke and Mechanic streets. Mr. Fowke's motion was voted down. In the May 23rd Vindicator town council report: ". . . Mr. McLaughlin, chairman of the We at Sumpsons Soars EXTEND OUR MOST SINCERE DO TO THE CITY OF Oshawa "Track Removal" day . . . Sat., May TIth. This is the beginning of a tre- mendous modernizing task that will keep Downtown Oshawa in stride with it's booming industry. We join with fellow Oshawa citizens in extending our most sincere congra- tulations to this city on it's big step to @ most promising future. WE ARE PROUD OF YOU, OSHAWA ! 41-43 SIMCOE NORTH, OSHAWA railway committee . . . explain- ed the principal amendment was that the company would take $5000 instead of $6000 bonus from the town, to en- able the town to widen the road- way of the street three feet on either side, that the railway use the centre of the street." Ten weeks later, on Aug. 1, 1894, "a one-paragraph an- nounhcement on the Vindicator's front page--" . . . Ottawa corre- spondent says Mr. R. C. Carter secured permission for the Osh- awa Street Railway Company t. lay tracks along the streets of that town." RAILS ARRIVE In the middle of September, the Vindicator reported, '10 car loads of steel rails at the Grand Trunk depot about which there is much mystery. ... "* . .. The rails are from Actonvale, Quebec .. . than the rails used here and have been used before for the face shows wear... about enough rails to lay the track from the Town Hall to the Grand Trunk yard (12,000 feet of rails). The agreement had just been signed by the minister of rail- ways and he was only now in a reported Captain Carter in the;agreement, they said, was be- Oct, 24 Vindicator. ot md Hast fig the The town councillors .argued| Railway Company and concern- that the first section from the | ed the line from the GTR to the Town Hall to the Grand Trunk| Base Line and south to the lake. Railway was supposed to be| A week later. the Vindicator finished "a week ago." The (Continued on Page 6) lighter |. agp Ena PLANTS in every price rop-in, select your flower gift, heer" World wide flower delivery" LEWINGTON'S FLOWERS 24 KING ST. E. PHONE 728-6211 position to go on with the work, GUARANTEE GOOD "BUY" TRACKS siete FROM BURNS JEWELLERS. MKB ie quemennns teas sibhiten ek santa COMPLETE 10 PIECE SET STAI NLESS A P RAC E FAR, FAR LeS5 THAN YOU WOULD EXPECT TO PAY! aT 1.00 DOWN -- 1.00 WEEKLY CREDIT JEWELLERS LTD. PHONE 723-7022 _|