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Volume 055-1 - January 2001 (6 pages)
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Page: of 6
Nevada County Traction
Company
by Bedford Lampkin
‘he TWIN CITIES HAD THEIR VERY OWN ELECTRIC
trolley for some twenty-three years, from October 1901
to January 1924. The operation made money for its owners
and was well used by the citizens of Grass Valley and
Nevada City.
Prior to the turn of the century there were a number of
petitions for franchises to build trolley lines between the
two cities, but they all came to nought. One of the earliest
petitions was by a Mr. Hare, whose concept included:
. .. propulsion of the cars by either horses, mules,
or wire ropes running under the road bed of said railroad and moved by means of stationary steam engines,
electric motors or water power, or by means of electricity applied by overhead wires or by wires under the
road bed.
That man was covering all appproaches. None of the petitions for franchises came to fruition, however, until that of
Mr. John Martin.
I suspect that Mr. Martin was more interested in selling
electric power than in operating a trolley line. He had been
involved with the Bay Counties Electric Company. Howom, ever, when this company decided to go into the retail selling of electricity and gas, they organized a new company.
This was The California Central Gas and Electric Company,
incorporated March 25, 1901, with John Martin as president. This was the source of power for the Nevada County
Traction Company, as the trolley company was officially
named.
The trolley with conductors and youthful passengers on a
sunny day. (Searls Historical Library photo.)
“A
(— )
Nevada County Historical doctety
Bulletin
VOLUME 55 NUMBER 1 JANUARY 2008
The trolley on Main Street in Grass Valley on a winter day.
(Searls Historical Library photo.)
The franchise given to Mr. Martin had a number of
specifics. It gave to Mr. Martin his choice in powering his
street railroad, and it laid out a particular route for the line
to follow:
Commencing on the eastern boundary line of the
corporate limits of the City of Grass Valley at the junction of Main Street and the Grass Valley and
Nevada City turnpike; thence along the southerly
side of Grass Valley and Nevada City Turnpike to
the Idaho Road; thence curving northerly to the
westerly side of the Grass Valley and Nevada City
Turnpike; thence northerly along the westerly side
of the Grass Valley and Nevada City Turnpike to the
southerly side of the property of Roger Shackleton
and Charles Shackleton; thence leaving the county
road, northerly and easterly through and upon private property, by and with the consent of the owner,
to a point sixty-eight (68) feet southerly from the
iron fence in front of the residence and propery of
Richard Noell [we’ll hear more about him later] intersecting the county road, thence northeasterly
along the northwest side of the Grass Valley and
Nevada City Turnpike to a point opposite Glenbrook Park; thence again leaving the county road,
curving northerly into and upon private property, by
and with the consent of the owner, passing through
and upon same on such courses as may afford a
practical grade for the operation of cars to Town