Boston and Northern Street Railway
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Lynn and Boston Railroad (L&B) |
| Founded | 1859 |
| Fate | Operations transitioned to Bay State Street Railway, then absorbed by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
Area served | Northeastern Massachusetts and parts of New Hampshire |
| Products | Horse-drawn and electric streetcar services |
The Boston & Northern Street Railway Company (B&N) managed both horse-drawn and electric streetcar services throughout Boston and its northern suburbs. Originally established in 1859 as the Lynn and Boston Railroad (L&B), it expanded significantly through a series of mergers and leases, becoming a prominent transit operator in northeastern Massachusetts and parts of New Hampshire. Its operations eventually transitioned to the Bay State Street Railway (Bay State), which was subsequently absorbed by the state-operated Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).
Formation
On July 23, 1901, the Lynn & Boston Railroad was rebranded as the Boston & Northern, which then grew by acquiring numerous street railway companies. This expansion solidified its dominance in the regional transit sector. These strategic consolidations paved the way for successor entities, culminating in the MBTA's 1968 takeover of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway (Eastern Mass), itself a successor after absorbing Bay State in 1919.
Lynn & Boston Railroad Company
Established on April 6, 1859, the L&B was incorporated into B&N in 1901. Throughout its existence, it either incorporated or leased several subsidiary lines, broadening its coverage and operational reach:
- Beverly & Danvers Street Railway (formed 1896; merged 1901)
- Boston & Chelsea Railroad (founded 1854; leased from 1880)
- Boston & Revere Electric Street Railway (created 1889; leased starting 1895)
- East Middlesex Street Railway (incorporated 1887; leased since 1893)
- Essex Electric Street Railway (divested in 1894)
- Gloucester Street Railway (organized 1886; acquired in 1900), which included:
- Gloucester Essex & Beverly Street Railway (established 1893)
- Gloucester & Rockport Street Railway (formed 1894; leased from 1895)
- Rockport Street Railway (incorporated 1896)
- Lynn Belt Line Street Railway (incorporated 1889; sold off in 1894)
- Naumkeag Street Railway (founded 1875; sold in 1894), encompassing:
- Salem Street Railway (organized 1861; merged into Naumkeag in 1886)
- Salem & Danvers Street Railway (incorporated 1884; leased starting 1887)
- North Woburn Street Railway Company (established 1866; merged into B&N in 1901)
- Wakefield & Stoneham Street Railway (incorporated 1892; sold by 1900), including:
- Mystic Valley Street Railway Co. (formed 1896; sold in 1899), which also included Arlington & Winchester Street Railway (organized 1897)
- Reading & Lowell Street Railway (incorporated 1895; sold in 1899)
- Salem & Wakefield Street Railway (established 1897; sold by 1899)
- Woburn & Reading Street Railway (incorporated 1896; sold in 1899)
- Winnisimmet Street Railway (incorporated in 1857; operated under lease)
This approach to consolidation considerably increased B&N’s operational capacity and market presence within Greater Boston’s transit environment.
Lowell, Lawrence & Haverhill Street Railway Company
The Lowell, Lawrence & Haverhill Street Railway Company (LL&H), founded in 1892, became part of B&N through a merger in 1901. Its significant acquisitions were:
- Haverhill & Groveland Street Railway (established in 1877, merged into LL&H by 1893)
- Merrimack Valley Street Railway (consolidated into LL&H in 1893)
- Lowell & Suburban Street Railway (formed in 1859, transferred to LL&H ownership in 1900)
- Lowell Horse Railroad Company (incorporated in 1863, merged into Lowell & Suburban by 1891)
- Lowell & Dracut Street Railway (acquired by Lowell Horse Railroad Company in 1890)
- Lowell Horse Railroad Company (incorporated in 1863, merged into Lowell & Suburban by 1891)
- Peoples Street Railway (established in 1897, sold to LL&H in 1898)
Later Acquisitions
B&N expanded its network by purchasing and incorporating several additional street railway companies:
- Georgetown, Rowley & Ipswich Street Railway (established 1899, acquired by B&N in 1906)
- Haverhill Georgetown & Danvers Street Railway (formed 1893, acquired by B&N in 1906)
- Lawrence & Reading Street Railway (organized 1900, absorbed by B&N in 1903)
- Reading Wakefield & Lynnfield Street Railway (created 1902, acquired in 1903 by Lawrence & Reading)
- Lowell & Woburn Street Railway Co. (founded 1905, purchased by B&N in 1906)
- Middleton & Danvers Street Railway (incorporated 1901, taken over by B&N in 1903)
Service Areas
B&N provided transit services throughout a wide range of cities and towns in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, including:
- Andover
- Arlington
- Beverly
- Billerica
- Boston
- Chelmsford
- Chelsea
- Danvers
- Dracut
- Essex
- Everett
- Gloucester
- Groveland
- Hamilton
- Haverhill
- Hudson
- Ipswich
- Lawrence
- Lowell
- Lynn
- Lynnfield
- Malden
- Marblehead
- Medford
- Melrose
- Methuen
- Nashua (NH)
- Newburyport
- North Andover
- Peabody
- Reading
- Revere
- Rockport
- Salem
- Saugus
- Stoneham
- Swampscott
- Tewksbury
- Tyngsborough
- Wakefield
- Wenham
- West Newbury
- Wilmington
- Winchester
- Woburn
References
- Articles with short description
- Streetcars in the Boston area
- Interurban railways in Massachusetts
- Defunct Massachusetts railroads
- Public transportation in the Boston area
- Tram, urban railway and trolley companies
- Defunct companies based in Massachusetts
- 1859 establishments in Massachusetts
- Railway companies disestablished in 1911
- Railway companies established in 1859
- Transportation in Essex County, Massachusetts
- American companies established in 1859
- Rail transportation in Boston
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- Companies of the United States by year of establishment