The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1904-09-15
Street Railway Seeking Right to
Build New Line on That
Thoroughfare.
ABANDON EXCHANGE STREET
Company Has Already Secured the Con
sent of Thirty-Seven Property
Owners On the Avenue.

The secret is out The Kenosha
Electric Railway Company will not
lay track to the southwark along
Exchange and South Exchange streets
but on the other hand the employees
of the company are making an active
canvass to secure the right of way for
new line of the company to extend
from the corner of South and Main
streets along Park Avenue to the
South limits of the city. Whether
the right to build on this street can or
can not be secured, it is definitely
announced that the route along the
two Exchange streets will be aban-
doned and the railway company will
not assist in the payment for the
pavement which is to be put in during
the next few weeks. The decision to
abandon the proposed Exchange
street route was reached on Saturday
and the employees of the company
held that the route would be so
filled with turns and cut offs that it
would make it a very disadvantage
one for the uses of the company.
Ever since the line was opened IN
Kenosha the managers of the company
have been considering the building of
line on Park avenue and the work
of securing a franchise for this line
is now on in earnest and if possible
the franchise will be secured and the
line built before the end of the pres
ent year. Contrary to expectations
the property owners have received
the suggestion favorab1y and7 already
thirty-seven of the property owners
protest against the coming of the
road. 1t is necessary for the company
to get the consent of two thirds of the
property owners and it is expected
that this number will be secured with
in few days. Hardly single one
approached has refused the consent
and many property owners have
welcomed the road.
In order to build the road along
Park avenue it will be necessary for
the company to get a new franchise
from the common council, but if the
property owners consent to the build
ing Of the road it is not thought that
the council will oppose it.
The route outlined by the company
along Park avenue is the only logical
route for a road south from Kenosha.
Such a route will lead directly from
the business district of the city to the
City cemetery and st. James Gene
terry. 1t will take passengers to with
in a block of the grounds of the Ke-
nosha Country club and will open
line which will be of great benefit to
the people residing at points on the
sand ridge.
Secretary r. G. Arnold of the Keno
sha Electric Railway Company held
conference with City Attorney Slater
of the street railway company and
explained to him the reason for the
abandoning of the line along Ex-
change street. This right of way will
not be surrendered by the company at
this time, and the immediate change
in plans was made on account of the
fact that it has been discovered that
the line of the Chicago, Kenosha and
Milwaukee Electric Railway Company
will enter Kenosha to the west of the
tracks of the Northwestern railway
company. For this reason the line to
the east part of the city would be
practically dead line for the Keno
have to be built to connect with the
through line when it entered the city.
This change in the plans of the
company should have been discovered
long ago, as it is stated that more
than 100000 had been spent Eby the
late Vo1ney Foster in securing the
right of way for the line, and all of
this property is to the west of the rail
way tracks, with the exception of
small strip near the village of Win.
throp Harbor.
The company has the choicesof sew
eral routes to the south, and one of
them lies to the west of the North
western tracks. 1t is more than prob
able that nothing will be done toward
building a line to the south during the
present fall, but if possible the COM
pany desires to build line on Park
avenue this year. The crusade to Sc
cure the consent of the property own
ers on that street is being continued
today, and the prospects are exceed
ing1y bright for success. It had been
the plan Of the company to make
still hunt for this line, but the lack of
opposition made it possible for the
company to make known their plans
in advance.
There will, however, be contest