Syracuse and Geddes Railway
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transport |
| Founded | May 4, 1863 in Syracuse, New York, United States |
| Founder | Alfred Hovey, Edward B. Wicks, William D. Stewart, John V. Barker, D. P. Wood, A. C. Powell, D. Bookstaver, G. P. Kenyon |
| Defunct | 1890 |
| Fate | Merged into Syracuse Consolidated Street Railway (leased tracks) |
| Headquarters | Syracuse , United States |
Area served | Syracuse and Geddes, New York |
Key people | R. N. Gere (president), Charles Tallman (vice-president), R. A. Bonta (secretary and treasurer), William J. Hart (superintendent) |
| Products | Horse-drawn streetcar transit service |
The Syracuse and Geddes Railway was a horse-drawn streetcar system operating in Syracuse, New York, officially chartered on July 10, 1863. It provided transit service between Syracuse and the neighboring community of Geddes. The line ran from the intersection of Salina and Fayette Streets to Hemlock, Bridge, and Furnace Streets (present-day Wilbur Avenue).
In 1890, this company consolidated with the Syracuse Consolidated Street Railway following an arrangement that allowed the latter to lease its tracks.
History
Authorization to construct a street railway track from Salina and Fayette Streets in Downtown Syracuse to Hemlock, Bridge, and Furnace Streets in Geddes was granted by the city in early 1863 to Alfred Hovey, Edward B. Wicks, William D. Stewart, John V. Barker, D. P. Wood, A. C. Powell, D. Bookstaver, and G. P. Kenyon.
The corporation was formally established on May 4, 1863, with $25,000 in funded debt and bonds for construction and equipment maturing on December 1, 1898. The total capital stock amounted to $50,000. Construction commenced promptly thereafter.
By 1875, the line began at South Salina Street and Fayette Street and ended within Geddes village limits. The company’s administrative office was situated at 2 New Savings Bank Building in Downtown Syracuse.
Operations
Originally headquartered in Geddes, the company relocated its offices by 1879 to No. 1 Onondaga County Savings Bank Building.
As of 1890, the railway utilized rails weighing both 30 and 47 pounds and managed a fleet comprising 13 streetcars powered by 35 horses.
Company management
In 1875, leadership included R. N. Gere as president; Charles Tallman serving as vice-president; R. A. Bonta fulfilling duties as secretary and treasurer; and William J. Hart acting as superintendent.
By 1894, the board of directors consisted of Daniel P. Wood, Peter Burns, Charles Andrews, George A. Kennedy, Charles T. Redfield, Jonathan G. Wynkoop, George C. Gere, Isaac R. Pharis, Charles E. Hubbell, and T. W. Meachem—all residents of Syracuse. R. N. Gere maintained his role as president; R. A. Bonta continued as secretary and treasurer; William J. Hart remained superintendent.
Financial
Shareholder meetings took place annually on the second Monday of January.
Syracuse consolidated lease agreement
Chartered in 1890 within Syracuse, the Syracuse Consolidated Street Railway obtained a perpetual lease for multiple local streetcar companies—including the Syracuse and Geddes Railway—effective July 1, 1890. This consolidation incorporated lines such as the Third Ward Railway, Fourth Ward Railroad, Fifth Ward Railroad, Seventh Ward Railroad, Eleventh Ward Railroad, Genesee and Water Street Railroad, Woodlawn and Butternut Street Railway, and New Brighton and Onondaga Valley Railroad. The combined system covered roughly 24 miles with branches spaced approximately every three miles. After this merger, operations under the Syracuse and Geddes Railway name were discontinued.
Due to financial strain, the Syracuse Consolidated Street Railway declared bankruptcy in 1893 and subsequently merged into the Syracuse Rapid Transit Railway Company in May 1896.