Portland Railway, Light and Power Company
Encyclopedia
The Portland Railway, Light and Power Company was a railway company and electric power utility in Portland
, Oregon
, United States, from 1906 until 1924.
A series of mergers of various transportation companies in 1905–1906 culminating in the merger of the Portland Railway Company; Oregon Water, Power and Railway Company; and the Portland General Electric Company
on June 28, 1906 established the Portland Railway, Light and Power Company (PRL&P). Nearly 200 miles of track and 375 urban and interurban
streetcars were thereupon consolidated under a single company. Upon its formation, PRL&P became the only company to operate streetcars within Portland city limits; it also continued to sell electric power. The name, Portland General Electric
(PGE), remained in use as a division of PRL&P and, after subsequent reorganizations in 1930 and 1940 eventually PGE became once again fully independent as a power utility company, making PGE in some ways both an ancestor and a descendant of PRL&P.
By 1910, PRL&P was a $15 million holding company
, having received 43 franchises from the city of Portland, mostly in the form of land grants. It was a monopoly, and "liable to anti-trust action under the Sherman Act." The company only installed safety devices (such as pedestrian bumpers) on its streetcars after "extreme public pressure." While PRL&P installed many public streetlights, the city council complained about the power rates charged to the city.
PRL&P was reorganized as the Portland Electric Power Company (PEPCO) on April 26, 1924.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States, from 1906 until 1924.
A series of mergers of various transportation companies in 1905–1906 culminating in the merger of the Portland Railway Company; Oregon Water, Power and Railway Company; and the Portland General Electric Company
Portland General Electric
Portland General Electric is an electrical utility based in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. It distributes electricity to customers in parts of Multnomah, Clackamas, Marion, Yamhill, Washington, and Polk counties - half of the inhabitants of Oregon...
on June 28, 1906 established the Portland Railway, Light and Power Company (PRL&P). Nearly 200 miles of track and 375 urban and interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
streetcars were thereupon consolidated under a single company. Upon its formation, PRL&P became the only company to operate streetcars within Portland city limits; it also continued to sell electric power. The name, Portland General Electric
Portland General Electric
Portland General Electric is an electrical utility based in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. It distributes electricity to customers in parts of Multnomah, Clackamas, Marion, Yamhill, Washington, and Polk counties - half of the inhabitants of Oregon...
(PGE), remained in use as a division of PRL&P and, after subsequent reorganizations in 1930 and 1940 eventually PGE became once again fully independent as a power utility company, making PGE in some ways both an ancestor and a descendant of PRL&P.
By 1910, PRL&P was a $15 million holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
, having received 43 franchises from the city of Portland, mostly in the form of land grants. It was a monopoly, and "liable to anti-trust action under the Sherman Act." The company only installed safety devices (such as pedestrian bumpers) on its streetcars after "extreme public pressure." While PRL&P installed many public streetlights, the city council complained about the power rates charged to the city.
PRL&P was reorganized as the Portland Electric Power Company (PEPCO) on April 26, 1924.