Chillicothe Streetcars

The People's Street Railway of Chillicothe

by Stephen M. Scalzo

Headlime image: Riders pose on and in front of a lineup of horsecars at an unknown location, possibly Columbia Park. All photos are from the Stephen Scalzo Collection of the Illinois Railway Museum.

Ed. note: Chillicothe, Illinois, is a small city along the west bank of the Illinois River about 15 miles north of Peoria. In 1890, it had a population of around 1,600 people.

The Chillicothe Street Railway was organized on August 27, 1887, by W.M. Meade, J.S. Russel, L.S. Hoyt, and R.H. Truitt. The company was incorporated on September 19, 1887, when it issued $4,000 in shares of capital stock. The company planned to build a 1.5-mile line, but failed to obtain a franchise from the Chillicothe city council.

The People's Street Railway was then organized on April 27, 1888, by James Kinlock and W.F. Ryan, formerly of Peoria. That company issued $8,000 in shares of capital stock. By May, the owners constructed 3.5 miles of standard gauge trackage using 16- and 25-pound T-rail between the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe depot and the newly founded Columbia Park, located south of the downtown area. Service started with four small four-wheel cars and 15 mules borrowed from Peoria, with six cars and 12 horses eventually being used. Normally two cars handled the business, each on one section of the line. However, on special occasions, the line used four cars between the Rock Island depot and Columbia Park, and one car between the Rock Island depot and the Santa Fe depot. In 1890, the company earned $2,150 and carried 40,000 passengers.

The Midland Hotel, shown here with a horsecar in front of it, was at the north end of the line, where Santa Fe Avenue dead-ended at the AT&SF tracks.

On May 1, 1892, the company was leased to James Kinlock for 10 years. The company had two prosperous years in 1892 and 1893. However, profits were nonexistent after that time, and the company was eventually sold in 1897, with service ending in the fall of 1898. On April 26, 1899, W.F. Ryan purchased the company, and sold the rail and cars for scrap. The property had originally cost $13,000, and at the end was sold for $800.

It's May 14, 1893, and we're looking out the front of one horsecar (as you can tell by the ears in the lower right corner) at a second car waiting at a passing siding. Location uncertain but this may be Second Street south of downtown Chillicothe.

Route map of the People's Street Railway of Chillicothe. Location of the carbarn and stable is unknown.

This article was edited and laid out by Frank Hicks. Thanks to Ray and Julie Piesciuk and to Richard Schauer for making available the materials from the Stephen Scalzo Collection that were used to publish this history.

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