subject: Local transit Massachusetts Wakefield Pictorial works
description- – Photo courtesy of the Wakefield Historical Society.
- – 1 picture :
- – "The horse and buggy, the automobile and the electric street railway were prominent at the time this undated photograph was taken. The Wakefield&Stoneham Street Railway Company was organized in 1889, and chartered in May, 1892. The first tracks were laid in the summer of 1892, from the post office to the junction of Main and Elm Streets in Stoneham, a distance of about two miles. The first car made its run on August 14, 1892. Shortly thereafter, the Stoneham line was extended to Central Square in Stoneham, where connections were made with the Lynn and Boston Road to Melrose and Woburn. Tracks were later added to provide electric rail service from Wakefield center to Melrose, Wakefield Park on the West Side of town, Montrose, Lynn via Saugus, and Reading center. Electric rail service was slowly discontinued from 1919 to the early 1930's, when the trolley lines gave way to bus service." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
subjectcollectiondate- – 2008-06-24T18:36:33Z
- – 2008-06-24T18:36:33Z
- – 1991.
- – 1991.
publisherrelation- – Wakefield Municipal Gas&Light Department calendar 1991 ; November.
coverage- – Wakefield (Mass.) History Pictorial works.
- – Massachusetts Wakefield
description- – Photo courtesy of the Wakefield Historical Society.
- – 1 picture :
- – "Crews on the Wakefield and Stoneham Street Railway were responsible for removing the snow from the tracks to keep them clear while the Town cleared the sidewalks. The 'rolling stock' of the Wakefield and Stoneham Street Railway Company was said to be of the latest and best equipment. The cars were heated by electricity during the winter months, a fact that the riding public was said to 'fully appreciate.' Chartered in May 1892, the street railway attracted several 'strong capitalists' in its early years. By the summer of 1892, tracks were laid from the Post Office (at the corner of Albion Street) along Albion Street to the junction of Main and Elm Streets in Stoneham. The first car traveled the route on Auguust 14, 1892. The route was soon extended to Stoneham's Central Square. In November, tracks were laid from downtown Wakefield to the Melrose line, extending to Franklin Street in that city by the spring. Both the Stoneham and Melrose extensions resulted in connections with the Lynn and Boston Railway. In the fall of 1893, tracks were laid from the Town Hall, at the corner of Water Street, through Saugus to Lynn." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
subjectcollectiondate- – 2008-06-24T18:36:27Z
- – 2008-06-24T18:36:27Z
- – 2005.
- – 2005.
publishercreatorrelation- – Wakefield Municipal Gas&Light Department calendar 2005 ; January.
coverage- – Wakefield (Mass.) History Pictorial works.
- – Massachusetts Wakefield
description- – Photo courtesy of the Wakefield Daily Item.
- – 1 picture :
- – "The Wakefield&Stoneham Street Railway Company received its charter in May 1892, with the first car running along the tracks from Wakefield Square to Farm Hill in Stoneham on August 14, 1892. The system was originally powered by electricity purchased by the Citizens' Gas Light Company, the predecessor of the Wakefield Municipal Light Department. After the street railway line expanded to Lynn in 1893, a car barn was built on Water Street, at the corner of Valley Street in July 1893. The first car along that route ran on April 18, 1893. The street railway flourished with the expansion of the system and mergers with other companies, leading to the eventual building of its own power plant on Water Street in 1894. The power plant included two 'powerful' engines of 200 and 100 horse power, providing enough power for three generators: one 150 kilowatt, and two 'D.62.' Another 200 horsepower engine and two M.P. 100 generators were added soon after to meet the demand. During the spring of 1895, another car barn was added, housing a total of 50 cars. The rapid growth of the street railway system ended as quickly as it began. Lines began to be discontinued in 1918 and by 1930, busses [sic] had taken over nearly all the routes. In 1930, the former car barns and power plant were occupied by the Oxidite Paint Manufacturing Company and by the Curley Brothers for storage purposes." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
subjectcollectiondate- – 2007-12-20T21:41:31Z
- – 2007-12-20T21:41:31Z
- – 2003.
- – 2003.
publishercreatorrelation- – Wakefield Municipal Gas&Light Department calendar 2003 ; July.
coverage- – Wakefield (Mass.) History Pictorial works.
- – Wakefield (Mass.) Aerial photographs.
- – Massachusetts Wakefield
warning- – multiple URL identifiers
description- – Photo courtesy of Bourdon Studios.
- – 1 picture :
- – "Wakefield was a bustling center of transportation in the late 1800's and early 1900's because of the Wakefield&Stoneham Street Railway Company. What began as a two-mile route from the Wakefield Post Office (on Albion Street) to the junction of Main and Elm Streets in Stoneham, eventually became a four-direction electric street railway system which residents could ride to Lowell, Lawrence and Haverhill to the north; Malden, Chelsea and Boston to the south; Lynn, Salem, Beverly and Gloucester to the east; and Woburn, Winchester and Medford to the west. Planning for Wakefield's street railway system was started by Col. Charles F. Woodward. The street railway company was formed in 1889, before anyone realized the need for such a system. He was instrumental in securing a charter for the company in May, 1892, and before long, 'strong capitalists' became interested in the project. In the summer of 1892, tracks were laid along Albion Street to Elm Street, Stoneham and the first car was run over this line on August 14, 1892. Tracks were laid from the center of Wakefield, down Main Street to the Melrose line, and in the fall of 1893, tracks were laid from Wakefield Town Hall (at the corner of Main and Water Streets) through Saugus to the Lynn line. This route was opened in April, 1894. After much opposition, the Wakefield&Stoneham Street Railway Company extnded its line from Wakefield center, via Main and Lowell Streets, to Reading Center, in May, 1894. All these routes were extended within these communities. The railway met with such success that double tracks were added in the early 1900's. By 1918, however, the automobile was responsible for the demise of the street railway. The Reading route was discontinued in 1918, with the Lynn line following in 1920, and Stoneham by 1929. All street railway routes were out of operation by May, 1931. " -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
subjectcollectiondate- – 2007-12-20T21:41:36Z
- – 2007-12-20T21:41:36Z
- – 1997.
- – 1997.
publishercreatorrelation- – Wakefield Municipal Gas&Light Department calendar 1997 ; February.
coverage- – Wakefield (Mass.) History Pictorial works.
- – Massachusetts Wakefield
warning- – multiple URL identifiers
