Draft:Martinsburg Street Railway

The Martinsburg Street Railway consisted of three segments: the first ran between the Cumberland Valley Railroad depot,^[a] and Martinsburg's north, the second ran between King Street and Elkins Park; a Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing and Improvement Company site located below Wilson street, the third ran from Queen Street to the B&O station currently served by MARC and Amtrak.^{[4][1][7][10]} The street railway served the public square,^[b] Boomtown, and the Interwoven Mills.^{[1][2][12]: 38–39} The streetcars met the city's northern and southern limits.^[8]

The network used T-rail, each segment weighed 40 pounds.^[3][5] The trolley cars had hardwood floors, carpets, seats, and electric lights.^[2] The cars were painted red with silver boards depicting the trolleys route and the company's logo. The fare was five cents.^[1][2] Martinsburg collected 1% of the railway's profits.^[2]

On March 20, 1891, the Martinsburg Street Railway company got a charter to own, operate, and construct: electric streetcars, cable cars and horse-drawn streetcars. The charter was set to expire on March 20, 1911.^[13][14][15] In April 1891, the company elected its officials and plans were made to construct and run electric streetcars.^[16][17] By July, the railway was under construction.^[18][2] On September 11, 1891, a report from Martinsburg's city council stated that the Martinsburg Street Railway should be financially and physically responsible to drain King, Martin, Queen, and other streets with a pipeline of sewers.^[19] By the end of September, the trolley poles were erected and the rails were laid.^[2] On October, 30, 1891, the street railway opened with 3,000 paid fares. The streetcar's opening was coordinated alongside the development of the Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing and Improvement Company's suburbs.^{[10][12]: 31} The streetcar ran on the development's east border.^[20] The street railway helped boost development, the Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Co.'s lots sold quickly to buyers.^{[10][12]: 31} That month, the Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Co. and the Martinsburg Street Railway company were successful.^[10][1][2] The street railway's business was deemed "fine" by newspapers in December.^[2]

The Martinsburg Street Railway implemented Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's "block system" by February 1892.^[21] In April, City Attorney Witzenbatcher described a good experience from the Martinsburg Street Railway to a city council meeting, noting its accommodation and general pleasing to the public.^[22][23] In July, Martinsburg's Street Committee claimed that John B. Wilson was responsible for repairing sewer lines as the intersection of King and Queen Street.^[24] Later that month, the streetcar company was ordered to replace street crossings on Queen Street that was dug up from the railway.^[25] In September, John B. Wilson sent a letter to the R. D. Nuttall Company which stated:^[26]

Enclosed please find check in payment of amount due, for which please send your receipted bill. We are very much pleased with your trolley and would like to get several more if we can dispose of our present trolleys. What kind of a trade can you give us on them?

In March 1893, a court order was issued to the Martinsburg Street Railway, Martinsburg's mayor, and Martinsburg's council from the B&O Railroad; who wanted the street railway company to not lay rail across their tracks. The judge sided with the B&O company, who was granted a temporary restraining order.^[27][28] On March 7, 1893, the street railway company held a meeting.^[29] Next month, the National Bank of Martinsburg issued a court order against the streetcar company to repay its debt.^[30][31][32] Martinsburg's Special Committee on Light also planned to inspect and report the streetcar's repairs in April.^[30] On May 31, at a council meeting, Martinsburg's street committee recommended lowering Burke Street up to six inches under the B&O's railroad bridge which was recommended to be funded by the street railway. The plan was denied.^[33] In June, the Martinsburg Street Railway planned to install baseball fields at Elkins Park with a stand, fence, local team, and streetcar service.^[34] By October, Edison General Electric issued a court case on the Martinsburg Street Railway over an action of assumpsit.^[35] In that month, the city council repealed the street railway's charter; effectively closing the railway until the franchise was renewed.^[35][36][37]

By April 1894, the Martinsburg Street Railway was issued a court case from Edison General Electric over a lost document.^[38]

On September 24, 1895, Judge Falkner granted E. P. H. Harrison custody of the Martinsburg Street Railway to sell or sperate the railway into multiple parcels.^[39][40][41] In December, the street railway's trail and motor cars were up for sale at $12,000 cash. It was also rumored that negotiations between the streetcar company and the Harrisburg Construction Company took place in regards to buying the street railway and the street railway's plant; the Harrisburg Construction Company took interest in the plant. It was said that a deal wasn't met.^[4]

In 1896, the streetcar closed.^[7][2] It was falsely rumored that service would continue if J.R. Wilson took a business partner.^[2] In the same year, the Harrisburg Construction company bought the Martinsburg Street Railway's plant for $10,000 to build the Funkstown and Leitersburg extensions of the Hagerstown Railway; an interurban system in Hagerstown.^{[42][43]: 46} In February, processes took place to dismantle and sell the rail.^[44][45] In March, a sale on the overhead wire was finalized to a supply firm in St. Louis.^[46][45] On April 2, the Hagerstown Railway company, bought three trail cars and three motor cars from the Martinsburg Street Railway for $900; leaving the latter with no assets.^{[47][48][49][45][43]: 313} Two days later, on April 4, the streetcars were sent to operate on the Hagerstown Railway,^[50][51][1] where they traveled along the Cumberland Valley Railroad on gondolas with a top speed of 4+1⁄2 miles.^[2] In May, the street railway's charter was repealed.^[52][53]

In December 1908, the Berkeley Traction company, (unrelated to the Martinsburg Street Railway) asked for a street railway franchise.^[54]: 1298 The company proposed a line between Williamsport and Martinsburg.^[54]: 1318

The Martinsburg Street Railway company started with $50 in capital with a cap of $50,000. Shares started at $10.^[13][14] By May 1891, the company's capital had grown to $5,000.^[15] By September 1893, the capital had grown to $50,000 with a cap of $100,000.^[3] Throughout 1894^[6] and 1895,^[5] the capital stagnated at $50,000.^[6][5]

The Martinsburg Street Railway paid $10 in taxes on it's charter license and other business expenses: once in May 1895^[55] and once in April 1893; which covered the company's charter.^[56] Both taxes were paid via Kanawha Valley Bank.^[55][56]

The street railway company had no bonded debt by 1895.^[5]

The company lost $30,000-$40,000^[c] after its liquidation.^{[47][49][44][43]: 313}