transportation, geography, development, and history in Durham

John Schelp Fri Oct 24, 2008 11:36 am ((PDT))
> last night's broadcast of Shooting the Bull [on XDU]
> covered transportation, streets and trolleys in Durham
> (past and future).

> To go to the beginning of the interview, use your
> cursor to move the white ball to 11 mins and 6
> seconds...

> http://www.bullcityrising.com/2008/10/shooting-the-bull-podcast-for-october-23-2008.html

...

> Background

> 1920 map of streets and trolley lines in West Durham...
> http://www.owdna.org/1920map.htm

> Durham's street cars lasted from 1887 until they were
> phased out 1925. Here are excerpts from Durham Sun
> columnist and historian, Wyatt T. Dixon:

> * The history of Durham's street transportation system
>   is an interesting one. It began in 1885 when the
>   Durham Street Railway Company was organized to
>   operate a street railway system, and the mule-drawn
>   cars made their appearance for the first time about
>   two years later... In 1901, the second chapter in the
>   story began with the purchase of the company's
>   franchise by the Durham Traction Company, now a part
>   of the Duke Power system, and the replacement of the
>   lowly mule by electricity... The final chapter began
>   with the demise of the street car for the gasoline
>   driven bus which form of transportation continues
>   today... Of the three forms of transportation, the
>   streetcar was doubtlessly the most popular. (page
>   184)

> * Durham's first street cars were drawn by mules and
>   the car line extended from a point near the present
>   Duke University women's campus [East Campus] down
>   Main Street to Ramseur Street. (page 249)

> * Electric street cars served the people until 1925
>   when they were replaced by buses. The change-over was
>   completed sometime later. (page 271)

> * Durham is said to have been the first city in North
>   Carolina to replace [street cars] with buses. (page
>   29)

> * The bus finally replaced the streetcar. Restricted to
>   its tracks, the streetcars faced competition from the
>   operation of automobiles called "jitneys" which
>   operated in areas not served by streetcars. This was
>   one of the compelling reasons for the change to the
>   bus system. (page 184)

> * When the street car system gave way to the bus tracks
>   were not removed and they remain in some sections as
>   mute reminders of another era in Durham's life. (page
>   249)

> Source: How Times Do Change. Central Carolina
> Publishing Co. Durham. 1987. (Dixon's columns appeared
> from the 1940s until the 1980s.)