Transportation in Hopedale in the Early 1900s
to another was to walk. Traffic was almost none. A bicycle here and there, a horse- drawn wagon delivering produce, meat, coal or ice. In the hot days of summer, one had to watch out for a sprinkler, also horse-drawn, which would be out laying the dust in the unpaved streets. (With a close look near the center of the picture above, you can just about see the sprinkler wagon. Early town reports for here in Hopedale, Massachusetts show that the highway department had three of them back in the dirt road days.) If one wanted to go to some other town, and walking was not feasible, there were available streetcars, powered by electricity, which could convey one, through connecting lines, to Worcester, Providence, or Boston. The electric cars, operated by the Milford and Uxbridge Street Railway Co., ran from Milford to Uxbridge, by way of Hopedale, Mendon and Nipmuc Park, where similar lines ran to other cities. The Milford connection ran through Caryville and Holliston to Framingham, where both electric and steam lines ran to Boston. The company also ran a car to Grafton, through Upton. A line at Grafton could convey one to Worcester. In the summer months, the cars were open, with seats traversing the full width of the car, and running boards went the full length of the car on both sides. The seats had backrests which could be swung over, so that most of the passengers could ride facing front when the cars changed direction. The power came from a wire running above the roadbed at a height of about fifteen feet. The contact was made by a pole secured to the car, with a free running brass grooved wheel, making contact with the live wire. Tension to keep the wheel in contact was done by a stiff spring, anchored to the roof of the car. The full length cars had one of these poles at each end of the car, and when the operator wished to reverse the direction, he would get out, and by means of a rope, which was fastened to the car, pull the pole down, and secure it by moving it to a position under a hook on the roof, and then go to the other end of the car, and make the connection, by reversing the process. If rain was falling, this was sometimes an interesting operation. To control the car, the motorman had a handle which fit over the power plant outlet, with a contact point which touched the points on the system, which was like a rheostat, with more power coming as the handle moved from one contact to the next. Compressed air brakes were used to stop and hold the car. There was also a hand brake, similar to those found on freight cars, used to anchor the car when the operator left it. If the pole jumped the power wire, as sometimes happened, the motorman had to stop the car so the conductor could dismount and go to the rear. Using the rope connected to the pole the conductor had to replace the wheel on the power wire. At that point they were ready to proceed. The conductor had to move along the aisle to collect the fares. The fares were rung* up by pulling a cord which ran overhead the full length of the car and was connected to a digital counter at the end of the car. During the busy runs, when people may have been riding on the running boards as well as having the seats filled, collecting fares called for a considerable amount of dexterity. The conductor’s uniform had patch pockets in the jacket, lined with soft leather to protect the fabric. It has often been remarked that during these crowded car runs, it was very rare for a passenger to try to avoid payment of fare. To make the run to Grafton, the conductor had to throw a switch at the end of Soward Street, let the car move onto the Grafton line, and throw the switch again to leave the Uxbridge line open. In zero weather, this could also be an adventure. Soward Street had a double track, as did the part of Hopedale Street in front of the factory, as a great many employees came by the means to their work. The extra cars would go to Soward Street, manipulate the change of direction and return to the car barn, located on East Main Street in Milford, and wait to be called out for evening service. At Nipmuc Park, a spur was located, which could accommodate several cars, which would remain there during a busy night, and take on passengers for the return trip. If you missed the last car at night, you made it home on foot or not at all. There were also small open cars, like those on the toonerville trolley, and when carrying a full load, they were rough riding and adventurous to ride. A steam operated train made a few round trips during the day between Milford and Boston. Anonymous. Found at Bancroft Library. Probably it was a paper given at a meeting of the Hopedale Community Historical Society. * One line in the middle (it was at the bottom of the first page) was missing. Thanks to “trolley guy” Bob Heglund for filling in essentially what the author must have written.
family in those years had a horse. Actually, for people living in towns and cities, other than the wealthy, that would be very unusual. They were generally within walking distance of work, and had little time to travel anywhere, nor could they afford the expense of having a horse. On the few occasions when the need to travel beyond walking distance arose, where trains and trolleys weren't available, they could generally rent a horse and buggy at the local livery stable. See further down on this page for more. DM Sylvester Roper and the Invention of the Mortocycle Early Hopedale Highway Department trucks HOME . |
This site is mainly viewed by people familiar with Hopedale, Massachusetts, but this page is frequently viewed by people from all over the country and other countries. I presume that's because a search for "transportation 1900s" usually brings up this page on the first page of results. Since those of you who are looking at this page may know nothing of Hopedale, here are a couple of sentences of introduction. Hopedale is a tiny town of only five square miles with a population of about 6,000. It started as a Utopian commune in the 1840s, and later became the home of the Draper Corporation, at one time the world's largest manufacturer of automatic cotton looms. It's located in south- central Massachusetts, just a few miles north of the Rhode Island border and about six or seven miles southwest of the start of the Boston Marathon. |
people, at least those in manufacturing towns, and no doubt in cities also, in the early twentieth century, didn't own horses. Hopedale in 1927 with a population of 3,045 had only 24 horses. Almost certainly they were owned by the few farmers in town, the Hopedale Stable, and the few wealthy folks. Factory workers weren't going to be stabling and feeding a horse seven days a week for the few times a year they'd have an occasion to travel beyond walking distance. For the times when walking wouldn't get them where they had to go, they'd take the trolley or rent a horse and wagon. In Hopedale, they'd rent from the Hopedale Stable.
population was 1120 (living in 233 dwelling houses) and there were 126 horses. Just over one horse for every two houses, whereas by 1927 there was only one horse for about every 24 homes. Probably the arrival of trolley service and the automobile is the reason for this. |
G & U Railroad and Trolley Menu Auto Parade in Milford and Hopedale, 1904 Sylvester Roper and the Invention of the Mortocycle Early Hopedale Highway Department trucks HOME . |
The center of Hopedale, Massachusetts in the 1890s |