Horse Car Lines

Los Angeles' first public transportation was a stage line which operated on Main St. from Temple to Washington; this started in 1873 and its inspiration was a beer garden at the corner of Washington & Main.

The first rail transit line was a horse car line named THE SPRING & WEST SIXTH RAILROAD. It was incorporated February 6, 1874 with a capital stock of $12,000. Its route was from the Plaza on Main to Spring to 1st to Fort (Broadway) to 4th to Hill to 6th to Pearl (Figueroa). Heading this project was Judge Robert M. Widney, an attorney, whose incentive to build the line was to afford a dependable means of transportation for his wife; the Widney residence was way out in the country on Hill near 5th.

The single track, narrow gauge railway opened for service July 1, 1874 with one car. Its barn was at the corner of 6th & Figueroa. Fare was 10› or five tokens for a quarter; the scarcity of small change in those days caused the tokens to be accepted across the counters or all business houses at their face value.

The community was highly elated with its first horse car and business was so good that Widney had to order a second ear by October.

In November 1874 the line was extended to what is now N. Spring and Alameda and on 26 March 1876 it was extended to East Los Angeles (now Lincoln Heights) via San Fernando St. (N. Spring) and Downey Ave. (N. Broadway) to Gates St. Travel was excellent owing to the novelty of riding out into the country.

By August 1878 a line was completed via the Plaza, Olvera, Macy, Alameda to San Fernando St.; this was opened on August 19th.

A single track extension down Figueroa to 9th and out 9th to Alvarado was completed and opened about January 1, 1887.

Another extension was from Alvarado west on 9th to Grand View; this was opened late in 1888 and a new stable and car house was built on the northwest corner of 9th & Grand View. Here the headquarters of the line were located thereafter, with the old barn at 6th & Figueroa being abandoned.

The northern terminus remained at Downey Ave. & Gates St. until 1886, at which time a new line, THE CITY RAILROAD COMPANY, broad gauge, was forcing its way into East Los Angeles. The two companies reached an understanding, followed by an exchange of stock on May 1, 1886, giving Spring & Sixth's successor company, THE CENTRAL RAILROAD COMPANY, the control.

The Spring & Sixth line was then changed from Downey Ave. and Chestnut St. (Ave. 20) and run via Chestnut and Hoff (Pasadena Ave.) to Daly St. The operation changed in December 1886 and service was extended to Daly & Grandin (Ave. 52) in January 1888.

In December 1886 the City Railway cars extended their operation to Downey & Pritchard St. (Lincoln Park Ave.) over new trackage.

A new car house and stable was built at Downey Ave. and Ave. 18 and put in service at the time of the change of terminals. The barn was removed to Workman & Downey Ave. in 1887.

THE LOS ANGELES & ALISO AVE. STREET RAILROAD COMPANY was incorporated February 15, 1876 to build a horse car line to Boyle Hts. The contract to grade the line was let April 3, 1876, work commenced April 9th, and was completed within one month with the bridge over the Los Angeles River completed in August. Operation began February 13th, 1877, via at Main & Arcadia St., Arcadia, Aliso, Aliso Ave. (the name gained an "avenue" as it jumped the river), to Soto St. Using modern names: Arcadia, Aliso, Pleasant Ave., E. 1st, to Soto. At this time there was no 1st St. east of the river, and no street of any kind between what is now 1st & Boyle and the river.

Patronage was light owing to the scarcity of population east of the river. The owners managed to get the baseball team to play its games over on Boyle Heights (the diamond was on 1st between State and Cummings), and when Evergreen Cemetery was surveyed in 1878, the horse cars provided transportation for the surveying party. The greatest trouble was caused by great bands of sheep passing thru the town at night; the little rails would be out of sight from the dust kicked up. The car house was at the corner of Rowan (Park Side) and Albert (Baldwin) Sts.

Incorporation papers were filed September 15th, 1885, for the CENTRAL RAILROAD COMPANY. It Was organized "to purchase, lease, or acquire, and operate railway lines in the city of Los Angeles, and especially to purchase the Los Angeles & Aliso St. Railroad line and to extend it to Evergreen Cemetery."

On April 10, 1884 the Spring & Sixth and the Los Angeles & Aliso Ave. lines were legally consolidated under the name "Central Railroad Company." The tracks of the companies were connected at Main & Temple on May 8, '84.

The track was extended from 1st & Chicago to Indiana St. in July 1884.

Things were happening down in the southern part of town about this time. THE MAIN STREET AND AGRICULTURAL PARK RAILROAD was incorporated on November 18, 1874. It built its line from the old Southern Pacific Depot (old River Station, N. Spring between Ann and Sotello) south through the city on Main St. to Agricultural Park (Exposition Park), about five miles. The cars were built in San Francisco and in a news item appears the information that the first of these to arrive was received with celebrating on June 9, 1875. The newspaper commented that

"the cars are of very fine workmanship and are provided with patent money boxes which permits every one to pay his fare without the assistance of conductor or driver."

Regular operation began from Temple St. to Washington St. on July 1, 1875, just one year to the day from the opening of the Spring & Sixth Railway line.

In August the line was extended to the Park via Washington, Figueroa, Jefferson, Wesley (University) and private right-of-way inside the Park. Construction was rushed so the company could take advantage of the Fair and Races which were held later that month.

The men behind this company were also the promoters of the West Los Angeles tract; this was bounded by Figueroa, Santa Monica Ave. (Exposition), Vermont, Jefferson, 32nd, Hoover, Jefferson to Figueroa...these men gave 308 lots of their tract for the University of Southern California, which opened for classes October 6th, 1880 with the little horse cars of the Main St. & Agricultural Park passing directly through the heart of the campus.

In 1886 track was extended down Main to Jefferson and west to a connection with the original line at Figueroa. By March 1888 the entire system had been double-tracked.

The building of this line greatly stimulated the sale of real estate in that section; it built up very rapidly and traffic grew to sufficient volume to pay expenses.

Residents on Figueroa decided to pave the street in the winter of 1891-92 and called on the railroad to bear its share; this the company refused to do and abandoned its trackage from Washington & Main on Washington to Figueroa and down Figueroa to Jefferson; tracks were torn up in February, 1892.

In October 1895 a syndicate from San Francisco headed by I. W. Hellman purchased the Main St. & Agricultural Park Railway. They electrified it on April 1, 1897, and it was purchased by Los Angeles Railway during September 1898 with LARY taking over operation on October 1, 1898.

The track in Exposition Park was removed in August 1910.

THE CITY RAILROAD COMPANY was incorporated July 5, 1883, by I. W. Hellman. Its broad gauge line ran from 12th & Hope to Olive to 5th to Spring to 1st to Main to the Plaza. On September 18th a press item stated:

"The elegant and commodious cars of the Hellman Street Car Road commenced running regular trips yesterday from Hope & 12th Sts. to the Pico House (Plaza), giving fifteen minute service."

And on October 16th:

"Service was extended north to the Southern Pacific Depot on San Fernando St."

Track was extended from Hope & 12th Sts. to Washington & Figueroa in August 1884 and service over this extension started during September.

On May 1, 1886, the City Railroad and the Central Railroad were consolidated, although each company retained its corporate identity. Superintendent William E. Hawks of the City Railroad added the Central lines to his jurisdiction. Main headquarters were located in the large car house at 12th & Hope.

On July 8, 1887, the Los Angeles Cable Railway was incorporated and on July 30, 1887, all properties of the Central Railway, The City Railroad and the East & West Street Railway Company were deeded to the cable company; by the end of 1888 the three horse car companies had ceased all corporate functions.

Other horse car companies included the MAIN & FIFTH STREET RAILROAD, which opened its line on March 1, 1888 from 1st on Main to 5th to Central Ave. This was purchased in October 1895 by the Hellman Syndicate and was electrified by LARY in 1897. On May 2, 1899 the line was deeded to Pacific Electric of Arizona and its two cars were the first ever to bear the PE name. LARY obtained the line in the Great Merger of 1910.

The DEPOT LINE operated a horse car line from 2nd & Spring to the Santa Fe Station at 2nd & Mateo Sts. and also to the S.P. Depot at 5th & Central. This company was absorbed by the Consolidated in May 1891.

The LOS ANGELES & VERNON RAILROAD ran a horse car line on Central Ave. from 5th St. to Vernon Ave. This also was purchased by the Consolidated in May 1891.

Other minor horse car companies operated for short periods of time on other streets but the important ones are listed above.