Newark-Granville Electric Street Railway Company Bond


Record of the Month!



This month we are featuring an 1888 investment bond from the Newark-Granville Electric Street Railway Company.

In the latter 19th Century the United States was a burgeoning electric power. The electric light bulb, invented in 1878 by Ohioan Thomas Edison, was slowly becoming more mainstream, along with a range of other electrically powered devices. One industry that jumped at the new technology was transportation. Railways were on the rise due to their comfort and speed for long-distance travel. Horse drawn streetcars (or trollies) were the primary form of public transportation for more local travel.

On December 28, 1889, a new electric streetcar began its seven mile route from Newark to Granville. As a result, Ohio became one of the first states in the Union to have an interurban electric streetcar. Today there is some debate among historians as to whether or not the the Newark-Granville line can be rightfully called the first interurban route in the United States.

 The streetcar was owned and operated by the Newark-Granville Electric Street Railway Company. While many Ohioans appreciated the convenience of the new interurban electric streetcar, others were distrustful of this new method of travel. Granville merchants in particular did little to support the creation of the interurban line. Merchants were especially concerned that they would loose business, and many began to suggest that the “N-G” painted on the sides of the streetcar meant “No Good.” Additionally, the interurban line gained a reputation for the questionable sobriety of the Denison students that would use it to return to Granville from Newark on Saturday Nights.

On display is an 1888 investment bond used by the Newark-Granville Electric Street Railway Company to raise funds so that they could build the interurban line to connect Newark and Granville. The bond was worth $1,000 and reached maturity in 1912.

For more information regarding this records or the information in this post, please contact us at 740-670-5121 or archives@lcounty.com.



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