From 1909: Down the River has the Call These Days

This article is from 100 years ago today, published in the Hartford Courant on July 19, 1909.  The postcard and photograph are both of the steamboat Middletown, which traveled between the foot of State Street in Hartford and New Pier 19, East River, New York.  The photograph shows it docked in Hartford in 1913. The postcard may be from somewhat later in the early 1900s. Both images are from Connecticut History Online.

Many Hartford People Go to Middletown, But They Come Back.

In the summer, the fancy lightly turns to thoughts of afternoon-evening outings, which will help man, woman and child to get a good night's sleep after the heat of the day.  New trips are always looked for by the outing lover, the American always wanting something in the line of novelty.  Just at present a trip to Middletown by boat and a return journey by trolley seems to have the call.  For years Hartford people have found the sail to Middletown by New York boat a good cooling off stunt, but there has been one drawback, in that a hot train on the steam road did not offer a most enjoyable means of coming back, being in rather unpleasant contrast with the boat trip.  Besides, evening trains did not run with great frequency and often it was a case, when the boat was a little late in arriving at Middletown, of running for a train, or waiting a long time for another, with a change at Berlin. Of course the running the past few years of trolley trains on the steam road between Middletown and Berlin removed some of the objectionable features, but the opening of the trolley line between Hartford and Middletown has removed them all, as people can now keep cool all the way back.

The recent hot spell added to the number of those who took the trip to Middletown and return and some afternoons there were not far from 200 who made the round trip. Saturday is the big day of the week and last Saturday was a particularly big one. The regular cars leave Middletown for Hartford at twenty-three minutes past the hour and it is sometimes possible for Hartford people to connect with the car leaving Middletown at 7:23 p.m., but this is unusual at present, as the steamboat does not get to Middletown before 7:30 o'clock, as a rule these days.  Sometimes, on account of the low water, it is half an hour later than that and, accordingly, the trolley company has changed the leaving time of its extra car, which has been leaving for this city at 7:53 p.m. and hereafter it will leave at 8:15, eight minutes ahead of the regular. The extra car is an open one, while the regular is closed.  

From 1909: Trolley Now Runs to Middletown

From the Hartford Courant, May 25th, 1909.

Note: This is quite a long article, it appears that 100 years ago there were also some rather windy writers (at least they had the excuse of getting paid by the column inch). I've transcribed it all because it has some gems sprinkled throughout. My favorite one is the list of Middletown's "chief objects of interest"; Wesleyan ranks third, after the Connecticut Hospital for the Insane (CVH), and the Industrial School for Girls (Long Lane).


Last Link in the Line Was Inspected Yesterday

HOURLY SERVICE TO AND FROM HARTFORD.

Twenty-five Cents is Fare For the Trip

The trolley line between this city and Hartford is at last complete. The railroad commissioners inspected the last link between this city and Cromwell today. The road is to be opened to the public tomorrow morning, the first car leaving the Hartford city hall for this city at 5:07 a.m. The first car to leave Middletown for Hartford at 5:23 a.m. The trips are to continue hourly during the day, the last car leaving Hartford at night at 11:07 p.m. and the last car leaving this city at 11:23 p.m. Two crews from each city are to be used on the line. The day men from Middletown are to be A. Barrett, motorman; E.S. Holmes, conductor. The night crew will be C. Johnson, motorman; J. Murnane, conductor.

The running time between the two cities will be seventy-four minutes, the distance being a trifle over sixteen miles. The rate of fare is to be 25 cents the fare zones being from Middletown to Cromwell, from Cromwell to Rocky Hill, from Rocky Hill to Griswoldville, from Griswoldville to Wethersfield, and from Wethersfield to Hartford. The line from this city to Cromwell will cost 5 cents or to Rocky Hill 10 cents.

The road has been completed as far as the Cromwell railroad station for over three months the first car having been run to that town for passengers on February 6. The road to Rocky Hill was opened a few weeks previous to that and the Griswoldville line a month or more earlier.

From Cromwell to this city the cars run over the tracks of the Valley road, the connection between the steam and trolley tracks being made just south of the Cromwell passenger depot. Considerable signal work had to be put in place before this part of the line could be opened, and as the manufacturers of the signals did not fill the order for several months the work was delayed accordingly. The signals are operated by two dispatchers, one at the Middletown end, and the other one at the Cromwell depot. They communicate with each other by telegraph so no accidents can happen. When the road was first surveyed it was planned to have the trolley tracks parallel those of the steam road, but later it was decided to run the cars on the railroad tracks.

The cars are to start from the post office in this city and run up Main street to Rapallo avenue, where they will turn down to the railroad depot and onto the railroad tracks. At Cromwell the cars leave the railroad tracks and follow the highways as far as Rocky Hill. One or two slight detours are made, however. From Rocky Hill the road goes over through the Griswoldville section and from there to Wethersfield, and then to Hartford. The route traveled is a pretty one and will undoubtedly be largely patronized especially in the summer.

The opening of the road will be of great benefit not only to Middletown and Hartford, but to every town along the route. The road opens up a new section of the state, as no other trolley line passes near this line.

The matter of a trolley line between Hartford and Middletown has been agitated for years, and a number of charters were granted at various times by the Legislature. The Connecticut Company finally promised at the last session of the Legislature that it would build the road. Later they tried to back down and a citizen’s trolley committee was formed to compel the company to stand by its agreement. Practically all the leading men in Hartford and all the other communities interested joined in the movement. They protested so loudly that the company again changed its mind and finally commenced work on the line last fall. Representative George B. Chandler of Rocky Hill was especially active in the work of the citizens’ trolley committee.

The opening of the line will be a great boon to Middletown people, as it will enable them to get in and out of town easier. Many will doubtless avail themselves of the opportunity to attend the Hartford theaters. None of the local commuters will use the trolley, as the train service is much quicker. It seems to be the general opinion about town that the train arriving here at 11:40 a.m. from Hartford and returning at 12:35 p.m. will be taken off after a time, as the trolley line will probably take care of all the traffic.

Many Hartford people will doubtless avail themselves of the opportunity of visiting Middletown. The city is a beautiful one and the public institutions located here make it an object of interest.
The Connecticut Hospital for the Insane, the Industrial School for Girls, Wesleyan University, and Berkeley Divinity School are among the chief objects of interest.

A number of Middletown people are intending to make their home in Cromwell, which is only a 5-cent ride from this city. They will be able to commute cheaply and conveniently by means of the trolley. Cromwell itself should attract many visitors, one of the largest greenhouses in the world being there. The plant is an enormous one and is owned by A.N. Pierson. He started in on a small scale many years ago but has built up an enormous business. His houses are a beautiful place to visit at any time.

The first car run over the line arrived in this city at 12:58 p.m. today and had on board William O. Seymour and Andrew F. Gates of the board of railroad commissioners; General Manager A.J. Punderford of the Connecticut Company; Calvert Townley, one of the vice-presidents of the road; C.R. Harte and R.W. Wade, the engineers who had charge of the construction of the road; and Superintendent Hewett of the local trolley lines. The car left Hartford at 11:33 a.m., but was delayed in Cromwell some time, waiting for a north-bound passenger train to pass. There was no demonstration when the car arrived in this city, only about twenty-five people having gathered to see it come in. On their arrival in this city, the party adjourned to the Chafee House for lunch. After lunch a trip of inspection was made over the local lines. The commissioners both expressed themselves as well pleased with the entire line. The trip was made without incident. The crew was composed of local men, John O’Neill, the chief motorman, running the car, and Everett S. Holmes being the conductor.

The same cars are to be used on the line to Cromwell. They seat about forty people.

From 1909: Trolley Cars Soon to Run to Middletown

From the Hartford Courant, Monday, May 10, 1909

Expected that entire line will be opened this month

In all probability the Hartford-Middletown trolley line will be opened to the public all the way through to Middletown by Memorial Day, if not sooner. W.H. White, who has had charge of the construction of the lower half of the line since April 10, said yesterday that his men were at work stringing the overhead wires and that the work so far as was necessary for the operation of the road would be completed within a very few days, although it would probably be a couple of months before the final work, such as fencing, putting in cattle guards and the finishing grinding, was done. Mr. White said that his understanding was that the running time between here and Middletown would be one hour, and that express cars would be run from City Hall to Jordan Lane in Wethersfield.

It has not been fully decided whether the present cars will be used when the line is finished or whether a car having a heavier flange will be used. If the heavier flange car is used, it will be necessary to change cars somewhere between the city line and Middletown, as only the lighter flange can be run on the grooved rails in use in this city. It is said that the patronage on the line so far has been very good and, in all probability, when the line is operated through to Middletown the traffic will be very heavy during the summer months and possibly there will be a half-hour schedule.
----------------

Below are some images taken from Connecticut History Online.

The above photograph shows a trolley in Middletown in about 1910. The building is the Customs House (I think it's the corner of Main and Court Streets). The building was torn down in 1916.

The above picture shows a trolley on Main Street in 1888 (Benjamin Harrison, running for President on the Republican ticket, had a campaign banner hanging).


The map above is from 1928, showing the existing trolley lines which connected to Middletown.

Shovel-ready projects

As you know, when Barack Obama hits the White House, he plans to initiate a massive public works project which will reinvigorate the economy.

He's already put out the word that he's looking for "shovel-ready" projects.

According to at least one editorial in the Hartford Courant, by Ned Lamont, the state is ill-prepared to accept money for these kinds of projects. While another two editorials suggest that creating alternative transportation solutions is something that would help the state.

Certainly, we shouldn't pour good money after bad into an expansion of an interstate highway system which forms the backbone of a transportation system which is antiquated and wasteful. What's more, at least in this state, it seems likely that such a move would only enrich contractors in a system which seems rigged to perpetuate the livelihood of asphalt-spreaders and roadway contractors who are intimately connected to the state bureaucracy.

In Middletown, there's already a proposal on the table to build a trolley line down Main Street. It fits perfectly the standards which Obama has proposed for an infrastructure project which will have future benefits, help the economy, and free us from the constraints of an fossil-fuel economy.

There have to be other ideas like this that Middletown can address readily. What projects should the mayor, and the Common Council work to make "shovel-ready" immediately. If ever there was a cause for which our political and community leaders should work toward with great haste, this is it.

We'll publish all reasonable suggestions for infrastructure, green, progressive projects Middletown should tackle. Leave your comments.