PtboHistory

Once Upon A Time Peterborough Had Streetcars

Elwood Jones' three-part look at Peterborough's streetcars:
 * 1?
 * 2?
 * 3 - End of the Line

Peterborough's streetcar run was relatively short - Elwood Jones

Once Upon a Time Peterborough had Streetcars

First a couple of screen captures of the streetcar systems had in the early 20th century:







The data for the preceding images comes from this website:

in particular
 * Canadian Electric Railway Map Collection
 * File Alpha 22 about the Peterborough area which also provides some history and chronology of how the system evolved.

The Peterborough Historical Society has signage up regarding the old streetcar system.





There are historical plaques along the main entrance path in Millennium Park and some of them mention the historical streetcar system.





Historical perspective on local urban infrastructure and transportation and suggest how relatively new it is. We can make changes just like our forebears did. Selected “firsts” from: Timeline Peterborough
 * 1850 - population 2,191
 * 1861 - population 3,841 + 993 Ashburham
 * 1883 - First bicycle club is established in Peterborough
 * 1888 - Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) Station is opens (George south of Dalhousie)
 * 1893 - Peterborough Street Railway system is created
 * 1897 - Peterborough gets its first cement sidewalks
 * ~1898 - streetcars cease operation (per sign)
 * 1903 - First gasoline powered motor car is driven in Peterborough by F.R.J. MacPherson
 * 1904 - Peterborough and Ashburnham amalgamate
 * 1904 - World’s highest hydraulic Lift Lock is completed for Trent Canal
 * 1904 - Peterborough Radial Railway Co forms and resumes streetcar service (per sign)
 * 1920 - population 19,890
 * 1921 - Hunter Street (Ashburnham) bridge is completed - known as the longest “single pour” concrete bridge in the world.
 * 1926 - Bus service begins in Peterborough
 * 1927 - Electric Street Railway ceases operation (was it due to General Motors streetcar conspiracy?)
 * 1927 - population 21,768
 * 1927 - Traffic lights installed for the first time at intersection of George and Charlotte Streets

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