Enid City Railway
Encyclopedia
The Enid City Railway Company was a street car
franchise in Enid, Oklahoma
, from 1907 to 1929.
The city council dictated the following requirements for service:
The construction of the road and the equipment cost $274,556.02.
On-duty policemen, firemen, and postmen rode free, as did children under five with adult supervision. The route took 14 minutes and covered 6.92 miles (11.1 km) of line. The route covered all three railroad depots, Oklahoma Christian University
, the Enid Cemetery, baseball parks, residential areas, the public library, county courthouse
, and hotels.
In 1918, the company still owed $50,000 of bond debt to the Dayton Savings & Trust Company. Its net revenue of $5,941.87 in 1917, was insufficient to pay the annual bond interest of 5 percent. The company operated 14 cars at its peak in 1913, and was down to 10 by 1918.
Rates were increased with approval of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission from 5 cents to 7 cents on December 1, 1918. 25 cents bought four rides, a dollar bought seventeen. The city council later refused to let the company raise fares above 7 cents.
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
franchise in Enid, Oklahoma
Enid, Oklahoma
Enid is a city in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2010, the population was 49,379, making it the ninth largest city in Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a...
, from 1907 to 1929.
History
On January 4, 1907, the Enid City Council awarded a street car franchise to C.H. Bosler of Dayton, Ohio, who had also constructed the Tulsa Street Railway. The chartered and municipal franchise was granted in 1907 for 50 years, and the Enid Railway Company was organized on January 7, 1907.The city council dictated the following requirements for service:
- line must serve university, all three railroad depots, and all sides of the square, equally
- frequency of service was limited to no more than 20 minutes during 12 hours of the day, and no more than 30 minutes for another four hours.
- trolleys had right-of-way over everything but fire engines
- street car speed limit: 10 mph in the business district; 20 mph in residential areas
The construction of the road and the equipment cost $274,556.02.
Service
Service began June 3, 1907. Enid Electric and Gas Company provided the electricity for car operation. In 1908, it owned 9 motor cars and 6 trail cars.On-duty policemen, firemen, and postmen rode free, as did children under five with adult supervision. The route took 14 minutes and covered 6.92 miles (11.1 km) of line. The route covered all three railroad depots, Oklahoma Christian University
Phillips University
Phillips University was a private, coeducational institution of higher education located in Enid, Oklahoma, United States, from 1906 to 1998. It was affiliated with the Christian Church . It included an undergraduate college and a graduate seminary...
, the Enid Cemetery, baseball parks, residential areas, the public library, county courthouse
Garfield County Courthouse (Enid, Oklahoma)
The Garfield County Courthouse is a historic courthouse building located in Enid, Oklahoma. It is on the National Register of Historic Places both individually and as a part of the Enid Downtown Historic District.-Previous Courthouses :...
, and hotels.
Lakewood Electric Park
The company also owned Lakewood Electric Park which was located on North Cleveland. It consisted of twenty-three acres of oak forest and an artificial lake covering eight acres. Amenities included a bath house, band stand, open air theatre auditorium, pavilion, boat house, bowling alley, scenic railway, and other varied amusements.Income
In its first year of operation, the company received a gross income of $20,164, and net income minus operating expenses of $9,490. It carried 386,575 passengers from June 3 to December 31, 1907.In 1918, the company still owed $50,000 of bond debt to the Dayton Savings & Trust Company. Its net revenue of $5,941.87 in 1917, was insufficient to pay the annual bond interest of 5 percent. The company operated 14 cars at its peak in 1913, and was down to 10 by 1918.
Rates were increased with approval of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission from 5 cents to 7 cents on December 1, 1918. 25 cents bought four rides, a dollar bought seventeen. The city council later refused to let the company raise fares above 7 cents.