The Street Railways of Rockford
by Stephen M. Scalzo
Photo at top: A pair of the 1901 Jackson & Sharp 100-series cars is shown on Main Street in an undated postcard view. This is thought to actually be Main just south of Chestnut looking north. All photos from the Stephen Scalzo Collection of the Illinois Railway Museum except where noted.
The Rockford Street Railway was incorporated on January 21, 1881 with $30,000 of capital. In June the company received a franchise from the city, and construction began on the trackage on Fourth Avenue west to Kishwaukee Street, north on Kishwaukee to State Street, west on State to South Main Street, and south on Main to Montague Street. A car barn was constructed on Kishwaukee Street at First Street to house the horsecars and horses. In September capitalization was raised to $40,000. Service began on March 6, 1882 with four horsecars and a five cent fare. A short time later a second line was under construction, from the downtown area west to the north fairgrounds gate. By 1883, the company had 12 horsecars and 43 horses. In December capitalization was raised to $80,000. By 1889 the company had earnings of $22,280 with 500,000 passengers carried on 4.5 miles of trackage with 12 horsecars, 54 horses, and 26 mules. The company financial picture was bleak, barely making ends meet.
In 1889, the company was sold to Judge R.N. Baylis of Chicago, who immediately drew up plans to improve service. An experimental electric streetcar began operating during 1889. When it was determined that the company was unable to pay for electrification of the lines, the company was reorganized as the Rockford City Railway (RCR), which was incorporated on January 26, 1890 with $150,000 of capital. A contract was then awarded to the Thomson-Houston Company to construct the electrification, and on August 15, 1890 four electric streetcars began operating. The Kishwaukee horsecar barn was remodeled for the electric cars. In 1896 the company increased its capitalization to $200,000 so that it could rebuild trackage and purchase additional streetcars. By 1898 the company had 18 streetcars and two trailers. After the car barn was destroyed by fire in the latter part of 1890, a new building was constructed on the same site.
The West End Street Railway was incorporated on April 1, 1890 with $50,000 of capital. The company soon constructed the west end loop to promote real estate on the west end of the city. As a result of the panic of 1893, the company failed in 1895, and John Farson, acting for the bondholders, was appointed receiver and later purchased the company. The company was then reorganized as the Rockford Traction Company (RTC) in 1896 with $300,000 of capital.
On June 20, 1898, Judge Baylis incorporated the Rockford Railway Light & Power Company (RRLPC), and consolidated the RCR and RCT into the new company. The company then received a 25-year franchise from the city in October. In 1901 the company carried 1,982,000 passengers on 37 streetcars, earning $91,016. The Harlem car barn at Brown and Cumberland Streets served as the repair shop and the framed car barn of the RTC served for streetcar storage until the North Shop was opened in 1911.
The old Kishwaukee Street barn pictured sometime around 1910 with cars 19 and 803 in front of it.
The Rockford & Belvidere Electric Railway Company (RBEC) was incorporated on February 1, 1899 by the RRLPC to construct a 14-mile interurban line east to Belvidere. On August 12, 1902, the RRLPC and RBEC were merged, and on September 16th the name of the company was changed to the Rockford & Interurban Railway Company (R&I) with $1 million of capital.
The Rockford & Interurban constructed this impressive car barn at the north end of the 2nd Street line. Car 115 and one other Jackson & Sharp car are sitting in front of the building.
In 1903 the company was operating 22.6 miles of local streetcar trackage with 37 streetcars. Trackage was constructed on West State Street from Avon Street west to Oak Street in 1903, and during 1906 the Seventh Street line was extended south to Harrison Avenue. Between 1904 and 1911, 46 additional streetcars were placed into service. During 1907, the Seventh Street line was double-tracked from Charles to Second Street, and the Seventh Street loop was completed. During 1910, five miles of new 70-pound rail was purchased to renew city trackage.
A 200-series car said to be at High Bridge, at the north end of town, with Motorman Nelson and Conductor Gilman pictured.
The R&I incorporated the Rockford City Traction Company (RCTC) on March 10, 1911 as a wholly owned subsidiary to operate the local lines which consisted of 37 miles of trackage and 70 streetcars. The RCTC bond indebtedness was tied in with that of the Belvidere interurban line, and dividends were paid to the parent company until 1926. During 1912, the new brick and concrete Kishwaukee car barn/shop and storage yard was constructed on the north part of the old car barn site.
Car 607 is at Harlem Park around 1910, with Motorman Nelson and Conductor Spill pictured. This car was later renumbered 825. Freeport Public Library photo from the Stephen Scalzo Collection.
In January of 1917, wages for 200 employees were increased one and two cents an hour, adding $10,000 a year in expenses. In November of 1917, the company built a profitable three-mile line to the military base called Camp Grant. By 1918, trackage had grown to 37 miles with 90 streetcars operating over eight routes. Fares went to six cents in December 1918, and to seven cents in November 1919. In December of 1918 the Public Utilities Commission ordered the extension of the Seventh Street double trackage south to Eleventh Street. In February of 1920, 12 double-ended single-truck Birney streetcars were ordered as an economy measure to hold down costs.
This photo of the yard alongside the Kishwaukee Street shops, probably taken in the early 1930s, shows (L-R) Birney car 621, an 819-825 series "Matchbox," an R&I freight motor, Birney 605, an 851-875 series Hodenpyl-Hardy car, and a 300-series car.
During the early 1920s, increased use of private automobiles and concrete highways began to draw passengers away from the system. After successful action against jitney service in 1920, the company put buses into service as streetcar feeders. The company only made a small profit on its system during the 1920s. In 1922 the fare was increased to 10 cents, and shortly thereafter four tokens were sold for 25 cents. During the period of 1923 through 1925 the company feuded with the city government over paving costs and a new franchise. During the fall of 1925 the company renewed its trackage on North Second Street between Rural Street and the city limits.
Car 839 is eastbound at State and Main in this undated photo. The car was built in 1913 by St. Louis. Its roof, with a higher arch over the body than the platforms, is known as a "turtleback" style.
On October 1, 1925 the parent company defaulted on bond interest, and in February of 1926 a receiver was appointed under action instituted by the trustee of the bondholders to run the system. A reorganization was developed within a year, but receivership marked the beginning of the decline of the city streetcar system. When the company could not pay for $150,000 worth of new rail and its share of paving costs requested by the city, the system began to shrink. Permission was received for the company to spend $5,000 for new rail on East and West State Street, South Main, and Seventh Street in May of 1926. The South Main Street line was ordered converted to bus operations, which occurred in July of 1926. During 1926 the Rockton Avenue loop trackage on Winnebago Street was abandoned.
The largest single class of Rockford streetcars was the 851-875 series of Hodenpyl-Hardy standard cars. Here, car 851 turns east onto State from 3rd Street.
The Rockford Public Service Company was incorporated on November 19, 1926, and took over all city streetcar operations on February 12, 1927 after purchasing the system for $550,000 on November 15th at the foreclosure sale. The new company operated 45 streetcars, with 20 open streetcars in storage. On February 15, all streetcar lines were converted to one-man operation as an economy move. During 1927, the company was awarded a new 20-year franchise, with two new bus routes being added to serve newly developed areas of the city. Seven new lightweight one-man streetcars were ordered in 1927. On January 1, 1928, the company was merged with the Rockford Electric Company to form the Central Public Service Company.
Car 303 is one of the modern lightweight cars built in 1927. It is signed for Lincoln Park Blvd. on the west side of Rockford.
By the middle of 1928, unneeded equipment had been scrapped, leaving 41 streetcars. By 1930 company policy changed against the streetcars, and as trackage needed rebuilding, streetcar lines were converted to bus operations. The seven new lightweight streetcars were leased for one years to the Rockford-Elgin interurban line. During 1930, the Rockton Avenue line was extended north to the city limits to serve a newly developed area. On December 10, 1930, the North Main-Harlem Boulevard streetcar line was converted to a 5.7 mile long trolley bus operation. The trolley buses looped downtown at State and Church Streets, and used two miles of non-revenue wire consisting of a single two-way pair of wires on State Street to reach the Kishwaukee car barn. Later the Fourth Street, Fifteenth Avenue, and Preston Street streetcar lines were abandoned due to paving projects.
By the end of 1930, only four streetcar lines totaling 20 miles were operating with 45 streetcars, along with 26 buses and four trolley buses for use on other routes. The company failed in 1933 because of the Depression and was reorganized as the Central Illinois Electric & Gas Company. Between 1930 and 1936 ridership dropped from 5,841,313 to 1,786,544, and by 1935 earnings were $414,313 compared to $674,029 in 1920.
The Kishwaukee Street barn and adjacent yard are shown in the early 1930s. The fleet is an eclectic mix of old wooden deck-roof cars, 1910s-era semi-steel cars, Birneys, and a modern lightweight steel car off to the right.
After 1931 mainly the double-truck streetcars were used, with only four Birney streetcars remaining in 1936. When the city requested that State Street, the main streetcar trunk street, be repaved, the company abandoned all the remaining streetcar service on July 3, 1936. All streetcar overhead and equipment was scrapped, with the seven lightweight streetcars purchased in 1927 being sold for continued use on the Oklahoma Railway Company.
On October 6, 1934, trolley bus 401 has just turned right off of Church onto Mulberry to make its loop through downtown Rockford. The Lafayette Building behind it still stands. R.V. Mehlenbeck photo from the Stephen Scalzo Collection.
The trolley bus line continued to operate, with gas buses helping out during rush hours, as there were only four trolley buses. World War II reprieved the trolley bus operation, but when the war ended, the city announced plans to replace the State Street Bridge over the Rock River. The company did not want to spend the money necessary to reroute the car barn connection overhead wires. Because the trolley buses were approaching the end of useful service and were becoming costly to maintain, the line was converted to bus operation on June 6, 1947. The remaining electrical equipment, overhead, and trolley buses were quickly removed for scrap. No streetcars or trolley buses from Rockford were preserved.
This history was written by the late Stephen M. Scalzo and was included with a collection donated to the Illinois Railway Museum by his wife Kimberly following his death. Editing and layout was done by Frank Hicks. Thanks go to Ray and Julie Piesciuk and to Richard Schauer for their work on cataloging the Scalzo Collection and making these materials available for publishing.
Partial Rockford Streetcar Roster
* = only information is from surviving photographs
*9 - seven-window ST DR closed car, McGuire truck, West End Street Railway
*20, 22, 24 - 9-bench ST Turtleback-roof open cars, Bemis truck?
*23, (25?), 27 - five-window ST DR closed cars
*32 - 9-bench ST DR open car (Wells & French?)
*35 - seven-window ST DR closed car, Brill truck?
*45 - six-window ST DR closed car, Bemis truck?
*48 - 10-bench ST DR open car
*51 - seven-window ST DR closed car, Bemis truck?
58-66e (six cars) - St. Louis 1904 (#442A) - 10-bench ST open cars
68-78e (six cars) - St. Louis 1906 (#650A) - 10-bench ST open cars
101-107 odd (four cars) - Jackson & Sharp 1901 - DT RR closed suburban cars - StL 23MCB trucks
109, 111, 115, 117 (four cars) - Jackson & Sharp 1901 - DT RR closed suburban cars - Diamond trucks, later (?) DuPont trucks - 109 renumbered 113
161 (one car) - St. Louis 1907 - DT DR car - StL 47B trucks - renumbered from 607?
163, 165 (two cars) - St. Louis c1904? - DT cars - StL MaxTrac trucks - bought secondhand from St. Louis in 1917, renumbered from 609, 611
201-215 odd (eight cars) - St. Louis 1904 (#461A) - ST DR closed cars - Note A
217-223 odd (four cars) - St. Louis 1906 (#713A) - ST DR closed cars - Note B
225-231 odd (four cars) - Kuhlman 1910 (#465) - ST closed cars - Br 21E truck
300-306 (seven cars) - American 1927 (#1445) - DT AR lightweight cars - Br 177E1 trucks - Note C
517-525 odd (five cars) - St. Louis 1917 (#1166) - DT trailers - Note D
601-623 odd (12 cars) - St. Louis 1920 (#1236) - ST AR Birneys
801-809 odd (five cars) - American 1910 (#831) - DT DR closed cars - Br 39E1 trucks
811, 813 (two cars) - Kuhlman 1910 (#467) - DT DR closed cars - Br 39E1 trucks
815, 817 (two cars) - St. Louis 1911 - DT cars - Baldwin MaxTrac trucks
819-825 odd (four cars) - St. Louis 1907 (#760) - DT DR closed cars - StL 47 trucks - renumbered from 601-607 in 1910, 825 possibly renumbered 161?
827, 829 (two cars) - American 1912 (#950) - DT DR closed cars
831-841 odd (six cars) - St. Louis 1913 (#988) - DT TU closed cars - Baldwin trucks
843-849 odd (four cars) - St. Louis 1913 (#999) - DT closed cars - StL trucks
851-875 odd (13 cars) - St. Louis 1916 (#1124) - DT AR closed cars - Note E
95 - center-cab-on-flat utility car
97 - R&I 1907 - single end-cab-on-flat utility car - Peckham 14AX trucks
A - In 1920, cars 209 and 211 were sold to Beloit Traction as trailers numbered 209 and 211.
B - In 1920, car 221 was sold to Beloit Traction as their trailer 221. In addition a second car, either from this series or from 201-215 series, was also sold to Beloit.
C - Sold in 1937 to Oklahoma Railway as their 151-153 and 226-229
D - In 1923, car 523 was motorized and numbered 901 for the R&I
E - Hodenpyl-Hardy standard cars
Car 217, built in 1906, signed for the Rockton-State line, possibly pictured at Highland and East State.
Car 803, built in 1910, probably pictured during the 1910s.
Car 823 was built by St. Louis in 1907 as car 606. A standard off-the-shelf St. Louis design, it was largely identical to the Chicago "Matchboxes." It was later rebuilt with flat steel-sheathed sides and closed-off rear doors for one-man operation.
Single-end, arch-roof car 863 was one of the Hodenpyl-Hardy standard cars. These were built as part of a consortium order that also included streetcars for Springfield, IL, Jackson, MI, and Northern Ohio Traction & Light. The car is shown approaching State on 3rd, signed for School Street.
Work car 97 had a single cab at one end and is shown here with a load of ties. Car 95 was similar but had a more usual centered cab.
Rockford Trolley Bus Roster
401-404 (four buses) - Brill-American 1930 (#1463)
Trolley bus 401 is southbound on Church at State. R.V. Mehlenbeck photo from the Stephen Scalzo Collection.
Trolley bus 404 is on State Street making its downtown loop. R.V. Mehlenbeck photo from the Stephen Scalzo Collection.
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