Yellow Cab
Encyclopedia
There are many Yellow Cabs taxicab
operators around the world (some with common heritage, some without). The original Yellow Cab Company
, based in Chicago, Illinois is one of the largest taxicab
companies in the United States.
The 'Yellow Taxicab Co.' was incorporated in New York on April 4, 1912. Its fares that year started at 50¢/mile (equivalent to $11.44 in 2011 adjusted for inflation). Among its directors and major stockholders were Albert F. Rockwell and the Connecticut Cab Co. Shortly after incorporation the Yellow Taxicab Co. merged with the Cab and Taxi Co., and with the strength of Connecticut Cab with whom its name was interchangeably used, the young business assumed a large share of the New York market. Its independent corporate life was fairly short, however, as fare wars and restrictions forced a merger with the Mason-Seaman Transportation Co. on March 3, 1914.
The Yellow Cab Company
of Chicago (not to be confused the Yellow Taxicab Co.) was founded by John Hertz in 1914. Their specially designed taxicabs were powered by a 4-cylinder Continental engine equipped with a purpose-built taxicab body supplied by the Racine Body Co., of Racine, Wisconsin. According to Yellow Cab Co. tradition, the color (and name) yellow
was selected by John Hertz as the result of a survey by the University of Chicago
which indicated it was the easiest color to spot.
The Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company
was formed in 1920.
Also
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
operators around the world (some with common heritage, some without). The original Yellow Cab Company
Yellow Cab Company
The Yellow Cab Company is a taxicab company in Chicago which was founded in 1914 by John D. Hertz.-History:The Yellow Cab Company was founded in Chicago in 1914 by John D...
, based in Chicago, Illinois is one of the largest taxicab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
companies in the United States.
History
In 1908, Albert Rockwell, (founder and General Manager of the New Departure Manufacturing Co. of Bristol, Connecticut) traveled to Europe to evaluate their taxi systems, hoping to develop a similar one in Washington, D.C. 'Wyckoff, Church and Partridge' had a number of orange-yellow colored Rockwell taxicabs operating on Manhattan streets in 1909. By March 1910, the Connecticut Cab Co. (essentially the directors of New Departure Manufacturing Co.) assumed operating control of Wyckoff, Church and Partridge's taxis.The 'Yellow Taxicab Co.' was incorporated in New York on April 4, 1912. Its fares that year started at 50¢/mile (equivalent to $11.44 in 2011 adjusted for inflation). Among its directors and major stockholders were Albert F. Rockwell and the Connecticut Cab Co. Shortly after incorporation the Yellow Taxicab Co. merged with the Cab and Taxi Co., and with the strength of Connecticut Cab with whom its name was interchangeably used, the young business assumed a large share of the New York market. Its independent corporate life was fairly short, however, as fare wars and restrictions forced a merger with the Mason-Seaman Transportation Co. on March 3, 1914.
The Yellow Cab Company
Yellow Cab Company
The Yellow Cab Company is a taxicab company in Chicago which was founded in 1914 by John D. Hertz.-History:The Yellow Cab Company was founded in Chicago in 1914 by John D...
of Chicago (not to be confused the Yellow Taxicab Co.) was founded by John Hertz in 1914. Their specially designed taxicabs were powered by a 4-cylinder Continental engine equipped with a purpose-built taxicab body supplied by the Racine Body Co., of Racine, Wisconsin. According to Yellow Cab Co. tradition, the color (and name) yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
was selected by John Hertz as the result of a survey by the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
which indicated it was the easiest color to spot.
The Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company
Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company
The Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company was established in 1920 by John D. Hertz and was associated with the Yellow Cab Company which Hertz also owned.-History:The Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company was established in 1920 by John D...
was formed in 1920.
'Yellow cab' companies globally
- The Yellow Cab Company of Baltimore, Maryland, was founded in 1909.
- The Yellow Cab Company of Vancouver, British Columbia was founded in 1921.
- Yellow Checker Cab of Peoria, IllinoisPeoria, IllinoisPeoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, was founded in 1922 and is the largest taxi fleet in downstate Illinois. - The 'Yellow Cab Group' in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
was founded in 1924. - Yellow Cab and Transit Co. in Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
was founded in 1924. It ultimately became the Yellow Roadway, a major US truckTruckA truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
operator (now YRC WorldwideYRC WorldwideYRC Worldwide Inc. is the holding company for a portfolio of brands including YRC, YRC Reimer, New Penn, USF Holland and USF Reddaway. YRC Worldwide has a comprehensive network in North America with local, regional, national and international capabilities...
). - Yellow Cab of Edmonton, Alberta was purchased and given the Yellow name in 1945.
- The Yellow Cab Cooperative of San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, was founded on November 8, 1977, succeeding a failed private company. - Yellow Cab of San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, has been in continuous operation since the 1920s. Yellow Cab of San Diego has since sold all of its vehicles; the company operates now as a radio system only.
Also
- Yellow Cab Company of TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
- Yellow Cab Co of Bay Area
- Peter Pan Bus LinesPeter Pan Bus LinesPeter Pan Bus Lines is a long-distance bus carrier headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. It operates in the northeastern United States. Over four million passengers per year travel on Peter Pan's bus routes....
was founded as Yellow Cab Air Line in Springfield, MassachusettsSpringfield, MassachusettsSpringfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, which was purchased by Peter Carmen Picknelly in 1933. - Louisville Transportation Company of Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, operates as Yellow Cab as well as Checker Cab and Cardinal Cab. Yellow Cab of Louisville has been in continuous operation since 1893, when it was founded as Louisville Carriage Company.
External links
- http://www.order1taxi.com
- http://www.yellowcabofnorfolk.com
- List of Yellow Cab Groups
- Why does every city seem to have a Yellow Cab company? - Cecil AdamsCecil AdamsCecil Adams is a name, possibly a pseudonym, designating the American author of The Straight Dope, a popular question and answer column published in The Chicago Reader since 1973. Ed Zotti is Adams' current editor....
, Chicago Reader - Yellow Cab Comprehensive article on Coachbuilt.com