The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-04-06
WHAT RICHMOND
MIGHT HAVE BEEN
Eleven Proposed Traction
Line Secured Franchises
and But One Built.
"A NET WORK OF ROADS
VI PROJECTS OF ENTHUSIASTIC
PROMOTERS HAD ALL MATE
RALLIED CITY WOULD BE
TRACTION LINE CENTER.
NET WORK OF ROADS

Had all the proposed traction lines
that have secured franchises from the
Wayne County Commissioners within
the past five years been bona fide
railways, with good financial backing,
Richmond would now be one of the
greatest electric railway centers in the
West. Nine franchises were
granted which have now expired, and
one, issued about year ago to C. N.
Mikels, still his year before cars
must be running, but from present
indications, the project will be bur-
led along with the rest.
At one time franchises were out
standing to roads which, had they
been built, would have connected
Richmond with nearly all the sur
rounding towns and cities. Win
chester, New Castle, Greensburg, Lib
erty, Hamilton, Eaton New Paris,
Greenville, and Union City would
have had direct interurban connection
with Richmond.
Much Agitation in 1902.
Most of the traction line agitation
was in the spring and summer of
1902, although some franchises had
been issued before that time. The
Eaton & Richmond was the first
road, but it died natural death on
February /, 1901, because no work
had been commenced. The Rich
mond Street & Interurban was the
next }oad to secure a franchise and it
is the only company in eleven that
has ever operated car.
The Hamilton, Eaton & Richmond
road was next and John ]. Hall was
granted franchise, which expired
in April, 1902. 1t was renewed later
by Gus M. Hodges, but the renewal
was allowed to run out in July, 1903.
There have been no signs of life since.
p. Bachman next secured a franchise
for time it looked as if the road
were 'go," but it's grant expired in
July, 1904. About the same time, the
Richmond, Union City & Portland In
terurban Railway doomed up as pos
sibility, and was given a franchise,
which expired October 8, 1903, be-
cause work had not been commenced.
c. S. Pierce Laid Rails.
One road, the Eastern Indiana Trac-
ton Co., proposed to build between
Richmond and Winchester and actu-
ally laid rails on Fort Wayne avenue,
in order to save the right to build,
but as no cars were run by April /,
1904, C. S. Pierce, promoter, removed
his stretch of 400 feet of rails from
the city streets. The next road to ap-
ply was the Dayton & Richmond,
through Allen c. Mcdonald. After
two extensions, the franchise was
declared null and void in April, 1908.
Then Herman Duhme ct al, ap-
piled for a franchise to build road
to Liberty, and agreed to have cars
running by April 1, 1906. Work was
never begun. Gus M. Hodges next
promoted the line from here to New
Castle, known as the Richmond &
Northwestern Railway Co., but the
franchise was forfeited because
there were no cars in operation on
Sept. l, 1904.
The Columbus, Greensburg & Rich
mond then secured a franchise, but 1t
expired last December. This road is
still considered a possibility and Sec
rotary Charles N. Wilson hopes to
build into Richmond, although a new
franchise will have to be obtained
from the County Commissioners.