Electric Railway Line01

 

WAUPACA REPUBLICAN

July 21, 1899

 

A BIT OF HISTORY

How Waupaca Secured an Electric Railway Line to the Chain o’ Lakes.

All Honor to the Enterprise.

 

            Five years ago the wildest imagination did not dream of ever seeing an electric railway in Waupaca.  Even as enthusiastic a boomer as the editor of the REPUBLICAN is, when he commenced in 1883-4 to advocate waterworks, railroads and manufacturing enterprises for Waupaca did not then think that these modern inventions which were just born, would ever find lodgment outside of metropolitan cities.  However, a contemporary, when ridiculing some of our suggestions in 1884 said:  “Whoosh!  Holmes has got the world by the tail, and is advocating waterworks from Muskrat pond and more railroads. The next thing he will be advocating electric lights and street railroads.”  Pretty soon many things commenced to come our way.  The electric lights came in July, 1886.  The next year, the telephone was installed, then came the Wisconsin Veterans’ Home.  The granite quarry was opened, the starch factory and creamery were built in 1889-’90, the stone crusher and macadamized streets came to us, then the stone and iron bridges, then followed the City Hall and new steamer.  Two years ago a waterworks plant was installed under municipal ownership; seven miles of mains and eighty fire hydrants, Water from the Waupaca river is filtered and pumped by water power to a reservoir on Mount Tom over a hundred feet higher than Main steet from the bottom of the reservoir.  IN the rush of improvements, we must not forget two national banks with resources of nearly a half million, which succeeded private banking with less than $30,000 resources.

            Then the Grand View Hotel was established by the Silver Lake Cottage Company and fifteen or twenty thousand dollars worth of buildings and improvements.  Then there followed Loyola Villa, the Jesuit rest resort; Wm. And Fred Smith’s summer resorts Frank Machin; Lessee of the late Dr. Calkins’ mineral springs and bottling works and grounds at Lake Park; Camp Cleghorn, Columbian Park and cottages galore.  It is no wonder that a better means of rapid transit should be thought of, and what better than

                                                            AN ELECTRIC RAILWAY !

            In the fall of 1897, very soon after the water works plant was installed, Allan Shuman made application for a franchise for an electric railway.  At about the same time Paul Sanborn made application for a franchise.  The terms of Mr. Sanborn’s franchise seemed more liberal to the City Council and he secured a franchise both in the city and in Farmington, granting him or his assigns to operate an electric railway from the Wisconsin Central depot to the lakes. Mr. Sanborn failed to enlist capitalists to put up the money or buy his franchise so it went by default. March 12^th, 1898, Messrs. Irving P. Lord, an attorney and W.B. Baker, cashier of The National Bank, both residents of this city, presented a franchise to the City Council for an electric railway in the city limits, to the west line of Farmington on Fulton street from the Central depot, which was granted in April.  A like franchise for operating the same in the town of Farmington to the Veterans’ Home and Grand View Hotel, was granted to them by the Farmington town board.  The terms fo the grant required the road to be completed by July ’98 but the Spanish-American war came on and for a month or two there was uncertainty and doubt and it was impossible for them to get the money in time to install the plant last year, and uncertainty and doubt took possession of many people as to the line ever being constructed, but Messrs. Lord and Baker never lost faith, and, although baffled in some points in securing the necessary funds to property install such a great enterprise, at last succeeded.  To their credit may it be said they last year graded its entire length through Farmington and quite a ways on West Fulton street in this city.  So when they finally made contracts with the Electrical Installation Co., Chicago, in May, that company immediately sent on their engineer, Mr. L.F. Mahler, also Joseph Eads, Supt. of track construction and George Morine, Supt. of electrical work, with Halverson and Lennihan line and track foremen and with a crew of one hundred men and teams the iron went down, the wires went up and the big dynamo was installed in the power house.  Result:  July 4, 1899 many people took a ride on the electric cars from the City of Waupaca to the Chain o’ Lakes.  The line is now completed to the Grand View Hotel four and three-fourths miles from the Wisconsin Central depot and cars have commenced to make regular trips every hour in the day and will, as soon as the water governor is installed at the power station, make runs until 10:30 o’clock every night and 12 o’clock Saturday nights during the summer season.

            Summary.  The Waupaca Electric Light & Railway Company is a corporation organized by Messrs. Irving P. Lord and W.B. Baker in June 1898, with a capital stock of $75,000.  It is the outgrowth of the Waupaca Electric Light Association, a corporation which was organized by the leading business men of Waupaca in 1886.  Mr. Lord is president and Mr. Baker is secretary and treasurer of the new corporation.  The new company succeeds to all the rights, privileges and franchises of the old association and has by the terms of the Charter built a fine electric railway, one of the neatest lines in the northwest.  The lighting department is presided over by Mr. J. Nansen as Supt. and the plant, while not the largest in the state, is conceded as one of the most perfect.  There is in operation one 75 K.W. (1,500 light) incandescent dynamo, manufactured at Fort Wayne, Ind., besides, one 65 light Brush are dynamo, manufactured by the Brush Co., Cleveland, O.  The power is from the Waupaca river and they have a dam constructed across the rapids giving them a twenty foot head.  They have one of the best steel flumes and wheel made by the Leffel Co., Springfield, O.  the generator at the station is a 150 killowatt “Detroit” and is capable with the water wheel in use, of producing two hundred horse power.  The water wheel is controlled by a Replogle governor, one of the latest and best, made at Akron, Ohio.  It is a complicated little machine and cost only a trifle less than $1,00 but when installed will do its work perfectly.  Mr. Frank S. Replogle of Akron, Ohio, is in the city this week, putting it in operation.

            The equipment consists of two, nine-seat open motor cars, each having two twenty-five-horse-power motors, two eight-seat open trailer cars, and one combination smoking and baggage car. In addition there are two substantial ballast or coal cars that will prove of much value in keeping the track in fine condition, and in hauling freight if necessary.

            The car barn located on Oak street near the Wisconsin Central depot is an imposing, roomy structure 40x100 ft. and contains two tracks capable of holding the rolling stock.

            The company has purchased a gravel bed a few rods from the tracks on R. Lea’s farm in Farmington and soon the track will be ballasted its entire length.  The rails are known as 50 lb. Tee rails and are rolled from the best steel, and are placed on fine cedar ties well spiked fish plated and bonded with copper.  The overhead work carries a heavy copper wire placed part of the way on side brackets and part on span work.  The poles are of the best cedar, and in the city painted white same as the lighting poles.

            In the country they are smoothly shaven and will be painted later.

            They have taken pains to make easy grades, and have a plant as near perfect as possible, and from start to finish it is without doubt one of the most perfect and complete little electric railroad lies in the country.

            Mr. J. Nansen is Supt. of the whole plant.  His assistants are John Lea, Arthur Gibbons, Bert Bailey, E.M. Worby, and Charles Wood.  Messrs. Worby and Wood are motormen.  Mr. Wood will also attend to the duties of conductor occasionally.  Peter Rasmussen will be reserve motorman and will have charge of the ballast cars.

            Geo. Wade is bookkeeper, and collector for the light department, also conductor on some of the runs when necessary.

            A dock has been built at Taylor’s Lake by the Railway people and Steamers stop there to land or take on passengers as well as at the Home or Grand View docks.

            The REPUBLICAN believes this line will be the forerunner of other improvements and enterprises in Waupaca and at the Lakes.  All honor and support is due the enterprise.