Railroad: Houghton County Street Railway Company

Built → Houghton County Street Railway Company → Houghton County Traction Company

Built: 1900 - Branch lines later.

Operated for 8 years.

Became: Houghton County Traction Company in 1908.

Ended: 1932

References: [MRRC][HCSC]

Notes

The Houghton County Street Railway was an electric interurban railroad which started operation in 1900. The original line was built from Houghton across Portage Lake on a double track swing bridge to Hancock, and then northwest towards Laurium. The line ultimately had branch lines from Laurium (Lake Linden Junction) southeast to Lake Linden and Hubbell on Torch Lake, north from Laurium to Wolverine, Ahmeek and Mohawk, and a branch from Albion Station (just north of Laurium) west to Red Jacket (Calumet).

The street railway, which was later reorganized as the Houghton County Traction Company in 1908, also operated a resort called Electric Park, which was located north of Boston Mine.

The Central Electric Railfan's Association [CERA] identifies this line as the only true interurban line in the Upper Peninsula, the remainder more like city street car lines. [CERA]

The initial line was built from Houghton to Boston mine. By 1901, the line was extended to Calumet. Branches were built to Lake Linden, Wolverine and Hubbell. The final extension, in 1908, was built to Mohawk. This railroad was double-tracked in major communities and single track between them. Private right-of-way was used between towns. The railroad used stamp-sand, which was plentiful in the region as ballast.

Severe gradients were a problem for this line, with the toughest one being as much as 8% on Quincy Hill above Hancock. The railroad dealt with heavy snow in the winter and traffic jams over the bridge to Houghton during navigation season.

The railroad had a power station in Hancock. It also had passing sidings at St. Mary's, Electric Park, Osceola, Hill Switch near Laurium and County Road, west of Lake Linden.

Time Line

1900. Construction begins. A coal-fired power plant is built on Portage Lake with its own coal-handling facility. A car barn is built in Hancock. By November, cars were running north to the Boston location. [CRR]

1901. September. The line reached Calumet and Laurium. A terminal was established adjacent to the MRR depot on Oak Street. A car barn was also constructed in Laurium Junction. 16 cars were in operation. [CRR]

1902. SNAPSHOT. This road is constructed with 60 lb. steel rails laid on soft wood ties with 2,640 ties per mile. 11.5 miles are constructed on private right-of-way on subgrade varying from 3 to 5 feet high. All of the crossings with steam roads are made by trestle bridges. Overhead construction is first class and comprises center pole with side brackets outside of cities and villages, and span wire construction through the cities and villages. All poles are securely guyed and anchored.

The company owns nineteen cars, four of which are 30 foot vestibuled, single truck cars. They are equipped with two 38-horse-power motors, hand brakes, sand boxes and electric heaters. Fifteen cars are 40 foot and are equipped with four 38-horse-power motors, air brakes, hand brakes, sand boxes, electric heaters and air whistles.  Eleven of the cars are equipped with General Electric Company's type M, multiple control, by which two or more cars may be coupled into a grain and operated b one motorman on the front car. Cars are not provided with fire protection or tools to use in case of emergency.

The main power house and barns are located at Hancock. The company is building a branch line from Laurium to Lake Linden. When this is completed, their line will extend from Houghton through Hancock, Quincy, Franklin, Tecumseh, Osceola mining location, Laurium, Calumet and Hecla mining location, and into the village of Red Jacket, with a branch line to the Wolverine.

The company operates five cars in its through business; one local car between Houghton and Hancock; two cars between Red Jacket and Laurium; one car each on the Wolverine & Lake Linden branches. [MCR-1903]

1905. April 4. A steamer strikes the Portage Lake bridge and several sections topple into the water. Street cars could no longer cross Portage Lake and customers ferried across. [CRR]

1908. The Houghton County Traction Company, capitalized at $2,850,000 has been organized by Stone and Webster for the purpose of taking over the Houghton County Street Railway company and build the Wolverine to Mohawk and other extensions. [DFP-1908-0821]

For additional information about this railroad, see:

• Houghton County's Streetcars and Electric Park, by Clarence J. Monette, Greenlee Printing Co., © 2001.