Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company
| Industry | Utility, Interurban railway |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Evansville and Southern Indiana Traction Company, Evansville Public Service Company |
| Founded | 1921 |
| Defunct | 2000 |
| Fate | Merged with Indiana Gas Company to form Vectren |
| Headquarters | Evansville , United States |
| Products | Electricity, steam, hot water, interurban rail transit |
The Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company functioned as both a utility provider and an interurban railway operator within Indiana. Its corporate formation occurred in 1921 following the merger of the Evansville and Southern Indiana Traction Company with the Evansville Public Service Company. The traction company originated from Evansville’s inaugural electric railway, which commenced operations in 1903. Meanwhile, the Public Service Company, established in 1909, supplied electricity alongside steam and hot water services to the Evansville area. While rail operations ceased in 1933, the company continued delivering power until 2000, when it combined with the Indiana Gas Company to create Vectren.
Railway Expansion Toward Princeton
The Evansville and Princeton Traction Company was founded on September 18, 1901, by investors hailing from Evansville and Richmond. By September 1902, track installation was underway. The subsequent year saw completion of overhead wiring and track ballast; however, delays in connecting substation power sources postponed the line’s inauguration until December 8, 1903. By January 1904, daily revenue approximated $200.
The enterprise sought to extend its reach northward to Indianapolis, either routing through Vincennes and Terre Haute to link with the Terre Haute–Indianapolis Line, or via a more direct northeast route. Proposed branch lines included connections to Owensville, Poseyville, and New Harmony. The Murdock and Marshall families from Lafayette—who controlled Evansville’s urban lines—advocated for constructing routes from Princeton to Vincennes as well as to Washington and Petersburg. On June 28, 1906, the Evansville, Princeton and Vincennes Interurban Railway Company was formed, acquiring stock from the Evansville and Princeton Traction Company; by 1908 it had consolidated control over the line.
The Evansville and Southern Indiana Traction Company was incorporated on December 24, 1908, assuming ownership of both the Evansville city streetcar system and the Princeton-Evansville interurban line, with intentions for expansion likely aimed toward Louisville. This entity promptly took over these assets. Despite common ownership ties, operations of the Princeton route remained separate from other principal interurban lines radiating from Evansville.
Shortly thereafter, the segment between Evansville and Darmstadt was realigned for greater efficiency. Construction on an extension stretching from Princeton to Patoka was completed by early 1908. Surveys toward Hazelton commenced in October 1908; by spring 1909, management approved plans to extend service toward Terre Haute to connect with the southern branch of the Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Eastern Traction Company’s Sullivan Line for interchange purposes.
Nevertheless, labor strikes among operators, financial setbacks, infrastructure demands—including replacement of ties and rails—and regulatory hurdles impeded funding for this expansion. Although efforts were briefly renewed in summer 1915, the Terre Haute extension never came to fruition. Operating as a short line centered on one city limited profitability compared to interurban routes linking multiple major cities despite its potential role in facilitating through traffic between significant urban hubs.
Consolidation of Two Entities
In order to address rising electricity requirements without constructing a new facility, the Evansville and Southern Indiana Traction Company combined forces with the Evansville Public Service Company in March 1912. Following judicial authorization in 1917, the Public Service Company of Evansville was officially established on June 10, 1912, by acquiring the stock of the traction company.
On March 7, 1921, the holding entity was rebranded as the Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company. This company was under the control of the Union Railway, Gas and Electric Company based in Philadelphia, which itself was owned by Commonwealth Power, Railway & Light Company located in New York.
The interurban transit operations ceased in 1933. In the year 2000, a merger with Indiana Gas Company resulted in the creation of what is now known as Vectren corporation.
Interurban Line Details
The route intersected a branch line of the Evansville and Terre Haute Railroad just north of Fort Branch and crossed the main line at Princeton utilizing two-rail crossings. Additionally, it traversed the Evansville belt line. The most extensive bridge along this path spanned over Pigeon Creek.