Paris
Paris Traction Co.
The Paris Traction Company
(PTC) was incorporated in February 1905 and constructed its one 15, 077
foot single track north-south line (with three passing sidings) through
downtown Paris which began operating in May 1907 using four open
and two closed streetcars. At the south end of the line was located
the the Paris Interurban Car Company (which later became the Cummings Car
Manufacturing Plant when the McGuire Cummings Manufacturing Company purchase
it, building its last car in 1930). Paris was also the western
end of the Paris and Terra Haute Traction Company - leased for 99 years
on March 1, 1907 by the Terra Haute Indianapolis & Eastern Traction
Company (THI&E) which began operating passenger service on October
26, 1907. The Central Illinois Public Service Company (CIPSC) purchased
the PTC in July 1912 for the planned extension of the Central Illinois
Traction Company's rail interurban service from Charleston to Paris
(rail extension never materialized but bus service did). Two new
Cincinnati Car Company Birney streetcars took over all service in July
1919, joined with a displaced CIPSC Birney from Anna-Jonesboro when that
short line was bused in 1925. Automobiles and concrete highways started
drawing away patronage and because of the operating loss, CIPSC petitioned
the city for conversion to buses in August 1925. When the city insisted
that all rail be removed, CIPSC continued operating the streetcars (only
two were needed at any one time). However, all service ended suddently
on a bitter cold winter night (22 degrees below zero) on January 23, 1928
when the car barn containing the three Birneys was destroyed by fire.
The Indiana Railroad leased the THI&E in 1931 but abandoned the Terre
Haute-Paris trackage on January 24, 1932 because interurban patronage/freight
service was operating at a deficit because of the Depression and automobiles/concrete
highways.
Open car 3 at the north end
of the line at resevior Park in 1915.
Stephen Scalzo collection
