Cairo Railway & Light
A History by Stephen Scalzo
Editor's note: For those unfamiliar with Cairo, IL, it is a town at the very southern tip of the state where the Ohio and Missisippi Rivers meet. In 1920 it had a population of some 16,000, but today it is virtually a ghost town with a population of about 2,100, an 85% decline.
Photo at top: At one time, Cairo was a bustling place, as shown by this image looking north on Commercial from 7th showing one of the 1909 single-truckers. The steel arches beyond the streetcar were the site of a notorious public lynching in November 1909. Today this scene looks like this. All photos from the Stephen Scalzo Collection except where noted.
Part I: The City System
The Cairo Street Railway was incorporated on September 4, 1880, with $20,000 capitalization. After receiving a charter which allowed for the operation of a cable system, on June 13, 1881, the company began construction on the trackage on Poplar and 28th Streets. The horsecar service began on October 13, 1881. By 1886, the company was operating two miles of trackage, using three horsecars and 10 horses. The company also operated a subsidiary, the Sycamore Street Railway, which leased horsecars from the parent company, for 0.85 miles of trackage. By 1890, the company had 3.42 miles of trackage, with six horsecars and 12 horses.
On May 28, 1890, the Cairo Electric Railway Company was organized to build an electric railway. On July 10, the company received a franchise to build their electric railway on Commercial to 34th, 34th to Park, and then back by way of Walnut and Washington to a terminal on 2nd Street. On January 8, 1891, construction began on the trackage, which consisted of 40-pound rail, by E.M. Lambkin of Kansas City. Westinghouse Electric agreed to build the electrical system for the company for $25,000 in bonds, providing that Cairo citizens would subscribe to the remaining $25,000; that was done, with Captain W.P. Halliday and C.O. Patrer being the largest purchasers. Regular streetcar service began on September 1, 1891. By 1895 the company had 4.86 miles of trackage with eight motor and two trailer cars.
The Cairo Street Railway could not compete with the Cairo Electric Railway because its charter forbade electric streetcars. As a result, the Delta Electric Company was organized in July 1892 with $150,000 of capital, and in August purchased the Cairo Street Railway. The new company was then given the right to electrify the entire horsecar trackage. Electric operations began on December 26, 1892, with three streetcars being used on the belt line and a fourth streetcar connecting at 28th Street for the fairgrounds. By 1894, that company had four miles of trackage with six streetcars, but when it could not pay its bills, it went into receivership in 1895. On February 13, 1896, Mr. C.V. Neff, acting for the bondholders, purchased the company for $35,000, and the Egypt Electric Railway was organized on July 7th with $40,000 in capitalization to operate the system with its four miles of trackage, five motor cars, and two trailers.
Single-trucker 23, history unknown but likely dating to the 1890s, navigates high water on South Walnut Street in the early 1900s. The sign on the dash advertises "Baseball Today."
By 1900, it was clear that the small city of Cairo could not support two streetcar systems. In April 1903, the Halliday interests purchased the Cairo Electric Railway Company, the Egypt Electric Company, the Cairo Light & Power Company, and the Cairo City Gas Company. Major Halliday owned almost the entire property of the first two companies, but was a minority stockholder in the latter two companies. Gaining control of the light and power utilities also gave control of the street railways. On May 3, 1903, the name of the consolidated company was changed to the Cairo Electric & Traction Company. The new company had 9.67 miles of first track, three miles of second track, and 2.3 miles of yard track, and by 1906 operated 21 streetcars. However, service was poor because the streetcars kept derailing on the inadequate trackage.
If you think something looks off here, you're right. That's not a six foot-high streetcar - some "early Photoshopping" has reduced the size of the streetcar to make the underpass look more impressive. The cart and freight train in the background remain the correct size. This is Sycamore at the north end of Cairo; the freight train is on the line into Cairo, while the IC line to the Ohio River railroad bridge is at the top.
The McKinley Syndicate purchased the system on September 1, 1908, and formed the Cairo Railway & Light Company on October 5th (with $1 million in capital) to operate the streetcars. In January of 1909, six new open streetcar bodies and six closed streetcars had been ordered. When the new streetcar bodies were received in May, they were placed on the trucks of streetcars already in service, with the old bodies being scrapped. In July of 1909, six new PAYE (pay as you enter) streetcars were ordered to replace the open summer streetcars, and the company requested permission to abandon the trackage on Walnut between 20th and 28th Streets. After receiving a new 50-year franchise from the city council in November of 1908, the company abandoned the trackage on Walnut from 8th to 20th in September 1909, but built new trackage on 20th from Poplar to Commercial. In December of 1908, the company announced plans for a new carbarn to be built on Sycamore at 38th to replace the old carbarn at 27th and Poplar. During May 1909, the new streetcars were placed into service as work progressed on re-laying the trackage on Commercial. It was then decided to rebuild the open streetcars and equip them with two motors instead of one, and to scrap several old Egyptian Electric streetcars that had been in storage in the old carbarn.
Little information about the 30-series single-truckers is known. It's possible that they were built by Danville, or a different Brill subsidiary, around 1905.
By 1917 the company was averaging 3,350 daily riders, using one-man streetcars to hold down costs. Cairo remained one of the smaller cities in Illinois to operate streetcars, and ridership never grew. Fares went up to seven cents in 1920. However with the coming of the popularity of the automobile and the construction of concrete highways, the streetcar system began to die.
This view of the powerhouse at Sycamore and 38th likely dates to the 1910s. It's taken looking south. While it looks like there's a river or pond in the foreground, it's actually just low ground that's been flooded. The space alongside the powerhouse is clogged with retired streetcar bodies.
In November of 1925, the system was sold to the Illinois Power & Light Company. On November 13, 1927, nine secondhand four-wheel Birney streetcars (five from the Quincy system and four from the Champaign system) replaced all of the older streetcars in order to improve service, but they did little to help the struggling system. In early 1928, fares went to 10 cents. Ten older streetcars were scrapped in June 1928. On March 12, 1932, the company requested permission to end all streetcar service, but withdrew the petition on April 20th when the city requested that the company pay for track removal, which was impossible for the company.
Birney car 106, which started its career as car number 104 in Champaign, IL, is seen crossing the Cache River Bridge in 1930 en route to Mounds in interurban service. Photo by Bill Steventon.
This view today
By late 1933, plans for a $60,000 Federal highway program led to the announcement that the tracks would be removed and the streetcars placed in storage. That arrangement was clearly impractical. Out of a total of 12 available streetcars, only four were operated after August 1933. Authority was given to abandon the system on December 20, 1933, and the last streetcar was operated on December 31, 1933.
Part II: The Interurban System
The Cairo & St. Louis Railway was incorporated on August 31, 1908, by W.B. McKinley, and after receiving a franchise on November 18, 1908, plans began for the construction of the initial line to Mounds City and Mounds. Despite its ambitious name, the line never got further than Mounds.
Interurban combine 200 crosses the Cache River Bridge sometime around 1910.
Preliminary surveys for the interurban began in December. In March of 1909, the company asked Mounds for a franchise to build trackage in that city, and a short time later asked the Alexander County Board for permission to use part of the Cairo-Mount City Road to Half Way House for construction of trackage. From Half Way House, it was intended to use private right-of-way alongside the road to Cottonwood Slough, where the line would branch off to cross the Cache River near the pumping station. In Mounds City, the trackage would come in near the Big Four, using Main Street to 2nd Street, and then run alongside the Illinois Central to Mounds.
The 200-202 series interurban cars built in 1909 were attractive cars. At each corner they had a sliding baggage door that could be latched halfway open for loading passengers or, with the trap down, could be opened fully for loading freight.
Construction was scheduled to begin in the spring of 1909, but high waters prevented construction. In March, the Mounds Board of Trustees passed a 50-year franchise for the company to use 2nd Street to Oak, and Oak to Sycamore, with the station and 2nd and Oak. Track construction began in April by L.E. Fischer Construction Company. In June the Mound City Board granted a franchise for the line to use Pearl and 3rd Streets. Shortly thereafter, the company decided to lease the IC trackage (at a rental charge of $139.74 per month) from Mounds City to Mounds for use by the interurbans. Work progressed on the Cache River and Cottonwood Slough timber bridges. By July 1st, trackage had been completed to Half Way House, and on July 4, city streetcars began operating hourly service on the completed trackage, with over 1,000 passengers riding the line. By August, work began on the Trinity Slough trestle and construction began on lowering the track and double-tracking at the subway on Sycamore Street to allow for interurbans to pass through.
The powerhouse built in 1909 is seen in this photo taken from Sycamore looking east at about 38th. On the left is ex-Chicago Ottawa & Peoria interurban car 204, while to the right is car 43, one of the 1909 Danville single-truck streetcars.
On September 5, 1909, service was extended to Mound City using single-truck city streetcars, and over 2,664 passengers rode the line that day. On September 6th, the new yellow-painted interurbans arrived. One interurban car was placed into service to Mound City, but because of insufficient power it was turned back at Half Way House. Because the new power house and the bonding of rails on the leased IC trackage was not completed, the city cars continued to provide service. On September 12th, the service began operating all the way to Mounds from a terminal on the east side of Commercial just above 9th Street. The line consisted of 2.43 miles of trackage leased from the Cairo Electric & Traction Company, 5.70 miles of its own trackage, and three miles of IC trackage rights for a total of 11.13 miles. The interurbans finally replaced the city streetcars on September 16th.
In September 1909, plans were announced for the building of a station on Commercial Street near 9th in Cairo. During October, construction began on extending the trackage from Mounds to the Beech Grove Cemetery, and a possible extension to Villa Ridge was being explored. In October, an orange-colored express interurban was received, and on November 15th, express service began operating.
Five interurbans and three express cars ran 18 daily round trips between Cairo and Mounds, requiring 45 minutes to travel the line (the rival Big Four and IC ran a total of 6-7 trains, needing 25 minutes). Earnings climbed from $41,716 in 1910 to $206,222 in 1920 while ridership peaked at 1,448,122 in 1914. Ridership dropped to 118,516 in 1918. The paving of the local highway in the 1920s brought in more automobiles, and earnings dropped to $6,263 in 1930. In November of 1925, the company was sold to the Illinois Power & Light Company.
One of the 200-series Danville combines is in Mounds, the north end of the line, in the early 1920s. It's signed for Tri City Park, which was located north of Future City. Intriguingly, the car has a "ball and bar" emblem on the side that is either the ITS emblem or something imitating its style.
During 1930 and 1931, patronage continued to decline, and the line operated at a loss. Birney streetcars were substituted for the interurbans as an economy measure in 1930, but that did not help. On July 23, 1931, the company was authorized to abandon and dismantle the entire line, and on July 31st, service was discontinued.
This article was edited and laid out by Frank Hicks. Thanks go to Richard Schauer and Ray and Julie Piesciuk for making available the materials in this article that are from the Stephen Scalzo Collection.
Incomplete Cairo Railway & Light Roster
4 (1 car) - DT locomotive, acquired secondhand 1914, 4 x GE 57A motors, K-28D control
7 (1 car) - DT cab-on-flat locomotive
13 & ? (2 cars) - Laclede 1892 (order #286)
25 (1 car) - DT cab-on-flat locomotive - St Louis 107 trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors, K-14 control - ex-C&OP 25, then Jacksonville 25, acquired from Jacksonville in 1927
26 & ? (4 cars) - ST DR DE open car, Laclede 1890, McGuire truck
34 & ? (4 cars) - ST DR DE semi-convertible, Brill 1905? (info is questionable, this series does not appear in Brill order list)
45 & ? (maybe 6 cars?) - ST DR DE closed cars, Danville 1909 (order #525) - cars 40, 42, 43 possibly later rebuilt as express/utility cars
52, 55 & ? (6 cars) - ST DR DE open cars, Danville 1909 (order #508), Brill 21E truck
104 & ? (4 cars) - ST DR DE semiconvertibles, American 1907 (order #711), Brill 21E truck
100-104 (5 cars) - ST AR DE Birneys, American 1919 (order #1205), Brill 78M1F truck, ex-Quincy, IL numbers 221, 223, 208, 204, and 224, acquired secondhand in 1927
105-108 (4 cars) - ST AR DE Birneys, American 1920 (order #1238), Brill 79E1 truck, ex-Champaign, IL numbers 102, 104, 101, 106, acquired secondhand in 1927
111 (1 car) - ST Bosenbury ultra-lightweight safety car, St. Louis 1917 (order #1135), StL 121 truck, built as Chicago Ottawa & Peoria #200 and sold to CR&L c1918
152 & 154? (2 cars) - DT trailers, Danville1908, ex-C&OP 152 & 154, acquired from C&OP in 1911, Cairo numbers unknown
200 (1 car) - single-truck express/utility car (possibly rebuilt from an unknown passenger car)
200-202 (3 cars) - DT RR DE interurban combines, Danville 1909 (order #513), Brill 27E1 trucks, 4 x GE 80A motors, K-28B control, 48 seats, 55000 lbs.
203 (1 car) - DT RR DE car, St. Louis 1903 (order #401), St. Louis 23A trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors, K-14 control, 48 seats, 50000 lbs., built as Illinois Valley 58, then to Chicago Ottawa & Peoria 58, acquired from CO&P in 1911
204 (1 car) - DT DR DE car, St. Louis 1903 (order #372), St. Louis 23A trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors, K-14 control, 48 seats, 50000 lbs., built as Illinois Valley Railway 54, then to Chicago Ottawa & Peoria 54, acquired from CO&P in 1914
250 - DT freight motor, Danville 1909 (order #514), Brill 27G2 trucks, 4 x GE 80A motors
251 - DT freight motor, CO&P 1904, Peckham trucks, 4 x WH 69 motors, K-14 control, built as C&OP 302, acquired from C&OP in 1911, converted to trailer in 1914
1504 - double-truck "switching car" (likely ex-Illinois Traction System)
Acronyms:
AR = arch roof
DE = double end
DR = deck roof
DT = double truck
RR = railroad roof
SE = single end
ST = single truck
Express car 250, shown in a Danville builder's photo, looks like it was probably an unpowered interurban freight trailer.
Click here for a map of the Cairo Railway & Light system
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