WAUPACA ELECTRIC RAILWAY

 

Source, author and date not listed.

 

 

01.  Operator and Promoter.                  Waupaca born.

            A.  I.P. Lord        W.B. Baker, an associate

01.    Born Waupaca 1858.  Graduated in first class of Waupaca High School in 1876

02.    Attended Lawrence College, Appleton.  Admitted to the Bar before Hon. Gilbert

L. Park March 18, 1881

03.    Organized Electric & Railway in June, 1898.

04.    Died in Los Angeles in 1937.

02.  Capital Stock,  75,000 shares.

            Granted franchise of the Waupaca Electric Light Association

            A.  From Soo Line Railroad depot, Waupaca, to Grand View Hotel via Wisconsin Veterans’

Home in town of Farmington.

03.  Power Plant operating from:

            A.  1-75 K.W.C.  1500 light incandescent dynamo manufactured by Ft. Wayne, Ind., Electric

            Corporation.   1-65 light Brush arc dynamo, manufactured by the Brush Electric Co., Cleveland,

            Ohio.

B.     Power used is water.

01.  Wheel and flume.

            a.  Installed by J.H. Leffell Co., Springfield, Ohio

02.    Pole line, station building, Waupaca owners

03.    Equipment consists of:

a.       Two 30-foot ten-seat motor cars

b.       Two 30-foot ten-seat trailer cars

c.       One baggage car

04.    Road completed in 1899

a.       With special excursion June 4, 1899

b.       Served as important factor in building up Lakes.

05.    Distance.

a.       4.77 miles – Wisconsin Veterans’ Home  1899

b.       1900 – extended to Grand View Hotel – 5.21 miles

06.    Capacity of business

a.       August 20, 1907, E.F.U. Picnic, electric road carried 4,844 passengers.

Fares – minimum 5 cents to maximum of 15 cents for full ride from Soo Line Depot, Waupaca, to Grand View Hotel

b.       Receipts for that day - $479.00, biggest day in history of road

c.       Several days – 4^th of July’s, church picnics, etc.,  $100 to $200 days.

07.    Description

a.       Green cars, short and top-heavy

b.       Three located in Waupaca:

                                                                                                   i.      One near High Bridge as children’s playhouse

                                                                                                 ii.      One on 9^th Street used as chicken coop

                                                                                                iii.      One in alley back of State Street used as a shed

08.    Ball Park

a.       Owned by I.P. Lord

                                                                                                   i.      First located near Grand View

                                                                                                 ii.      Near Chauncey Boyce Farm

                                                                                                iii.      At Chady’s Corner

1.       Run special cars.

09.    100-yard sidetrack near Chauncey Boyce farm

a.       Used for passing car when three operating

b.       Also a track extended to a gravel pit on Boyce farm.

10.    I.P. Lord sold to Aspenes

a.       Still operated under the Electric Light & Ry. Co.

b.       Later sold to Richardson

c.       Finally sold to Wisconsin Valley Electric Co., a subsidiary of the Byllesby Corporation

11.    Road torn up in 1924

12.    Successor to trolley cars is bus line operated by O.E. Hanson

a.       Purchased the bus line from Miles Loberg, Dodge Dealer in Waupaca, in 1930

13.    Few Waupaca men living in Waupaca that help operate

a.       Will Rasmussen

b.       Alden Dutton

c.       Byron Whitney

d.       Clyde Taylor

                                                                                                   i.      Some helped build road, operate cars and tear up tracks.