Portland Railroad Company

You will receive the exact certificate pictured

Guaranteed authentic

Over 75 years old

Capital stock

January 3, 1941

Issued, canceled

Loring, Short & Harmon

Hand signed

10 3/4" (w) by 6 3/4" (h)

NA

Historical Context

The Portland and Forest Avenue Railroad Company was chartered in 1860 to build a street car line from the India Street station of the Grand Trunk Railway. Construction was delayed by the American Civil War; but used rail was obtained from New Brunswick in 1863 to complete a line from India Street along Middle Street through Monument Square along Congress Street, and then down High Street, and westerly along Spring Street to Clark Street. Service with horse-drawn street cars began on October 12, 1863. In 1864 an adjoining line was built along Preble Street from Monument Square and thence along Portland Street and Forest Avenue to Woodfords Corner. This line was later extended to Morrills Corner along Pleasant Avenue and Stevens Avenue. Lines along Congress Street were extended westward to Longfellow Square and eastward to Atlantic Street on Munjoy Hill. Horse-drawn sleighs were substituted for rail cars when snow and ice covered the streets during winter months to avoid ice removal inconveniencing other horse-drawn sleighs.

The name was shortened to the Portland Railroad Company in 1865. The Congress street line was extended past Union Station to Stroudwater Village. A new line was built from Woodfords Corner through Lunts Corner to East Deering. Additional lines were constructed along Commercial Street and Pearl Street from the Grand Trunk station to Congress Street.

Electrification through overhead wires began in the late 19th century, and the last horse-drawn car ran in December, 1895. The Portland Railroad Company extended service through Westbrook to South Windham and Gorham by acquisition of the Westbrook, Windham and Naples Railway. Connection with the Lewiston, Augusta and Waterville Street Railway at Yarmouth was made by acquisition of the Portland and Yarmouth Electric Railway through Falmouth Foreside and Cumberland Foreside. Connection with the Biddeford and Saco Railway was made by acquisition of the Portland and Cape Elizabeth Railway through South Portland to Old Orchard and Saco.

From 1914 to 1933, the Portland-Lewiston Interurban entered Portland via the Portland Railroad line from Morrills Corner.

Increasing automobile ownership made electric railway travel less convenient through the 1920s. The lines to Yarmouth, Gorham, South Windham, Old Orchard, and Saco were abandoned between 1931 and 1933. The remaining system operated as a city traction system well into the 1940's, with a major service contraction in 1939 and complete replacement by buses in the spring of 1941.

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