Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-10-18
OF Akron's Street
Railway Affairs.
First Line Began Opera
ton In 1883.
Now Akron's Lines Are In a
$500, 1000 Division.

The purchase of the Canton Akron
railway property by the Everett
Moore syndicate and the announce
ment that before long the local street
car lines and those radiatlng from
here would be consolidated into a sys-
tenn to be known as the Akron Divis-
ion of the Everett-Moore system have
made appropriate a brief review of
the progress made in street railway
business affecting Akron since the first
line was put in operation here August
1S, 1888. ,-.
The first line-that of the Akron
Street Railway & Herdic Co.-had two
miles of track. When the consolida-
tion of systems now centered III Ak
ron is made the combined capital will
be $5,1OO,OOO and the trackage 150
miles At present this capital is di-
vided as follows: Northern Ohio
Traction Co., $3,500,OO0; Canton, Mas
sillon & Akron. $1,OOO,OOO; Canton
Akron, 100000. These properties
will later be known as the Akron Di-
vision of the Everett Moore system
into which the properties held sue
cessively and variously by the fol-
lowing companies will have drifted:
Akron Street Railway & Herdic Co.,
Everett & Easement, The Seiberlings,
Akron Railway & Electric Co., Ak
ron Street Railway e. Illuminating
Co., Akron, Bedford & Cleveland Co.,
Northern Ohio Traction Co., Akron &
Cuyahoga Falls Rapid Transit Co.,
Radel Syndicate, Canton, Massillon &
Akron Co., and Canton-Akron Co.
1t was not until the winter of 1928
that companies were organized to
build street car line in Akron. The
first movement was made by Messrs.
Will Christy, John z. Metlin and
James Christy, jr. Their plan was
to construct a line in South Main and
Howard SITS. About the same time
another company was organized by
Messrs. Ira NJ. Miller, Burdette L..
Dodge and r. NJ Atterholt, who also
designed to build line in South Main
and Howard sts., and active steps
were taken by both companies to Sc
cure property consents and franchises.
But before any of these were secured
the gentlemen comprising both COM
panies held conference which result
ed in their joining forces. For some
time previous, Ira M. Miller had been
operating herdic line in East Market
St, from Howard to Water St, and
this line was taken into the organiza-
tion which was incorporated under the
name, Akron Street Railway & Her
die Co. Ira M. Miller was elected
president; B. l.. Dodge, secretary;
viii Christy, treasurer, and John e.
Metlin, superintendent.
The line was constructed during the
summer of 1888 in South Main ST.,
from near South ST., to Howard, and
in Howard as far north as the "Old
Sumner House." 1t was operated as
a horse-car line for five years. Orig
inally the line was two miles long
but In 1886 it was extended to Lake
side park, giving an additional mile
and half.
In the early part of 1888 the property
was sold to Sylvester T. Everett, OF
Cleveland and Gen. j. s. Easement
of Painesville. These gentlemen
equipped the line electrically. and
added lines in East and West Mar
ket ST.; also built the loop line, in
1890. After operating the lines fol
three years they sold it to the Seiber
lings, who extended the North How
ard st. line to Cuyahoga Falls, ant
also extended the line in East Marke
ct. from Water st. to Blue Pond
Shortly after these improvements wer,
made the property went into the hands
Of q receiver, who sold it to the Ak
ron Railway & Electric Co., in which
l.. @. Miles and r. A. Seiberling wer,
principals. 1t was next sold to the
Everett Moore people, in, 1890, ant
was operated for short time undel