Streetcars and Trolleys

In the early nine-teen hundreds segregation was new to everyone. Because freed slaves had nowhere to go once freed, often times they remained working for their former masters. Still allowing African Americans to do freely what they wanted. As more and more African Americans became more natural to cities the white people were outraged by the social equality between whites and blacks. A bill that was written by Mr. Thomas J. Fedler introduced the thought of segregation between whites and blacks on streetcars. Meaning there would be separate seating for whites and separate seating for blacks. While this caused discussion between various major cities in Georgia it was exclaimed there would not be two separate streetcars for the different races, only separate seats and that, which would be too difficult for the streetcar companies to keep up with. As segregation got more serious African Americans did not have to be put in place and simply knew what they were allowed to do and they were not allowed to do.

Streetcars, espicially in Macon, Georgia became unbearably hot in the summer time. During one summer the panel were taken off the sides of streetcars creating "open streetcars". This new idea was a way to keep trolley riders happy as they commuted to their everyday stops. With the sides open it created a breeze instead of trapping the heat. Happier passengers, came to rely on the streetcar service as a convenient, comfortable mode of transportation.  With increased contintment, demand for new cars increased to accomadate additional riders.  This demand was an economic boom for the trolley car companies.

The Streetcars in Macon had several routes but it's main routes was down Fourth street and Cotton Avenue. A report estimated the track length to be  around 20.5 miles and an inventory of 30 motor cars and 15 trail cars.

                                                                                                                 

The building was turned into a club named the "Power Station"

The Macon Railway and Lighthing Company Building was a trolley buisness as well as a Light Company. The Lighting Company was run on the  second and third floors while the trolleys were stored and service on the bottom floor. In 1907 the Ocmulgee Park was created just a few blocks from the Railway and Lighting building. The park drew in many visitors who were also interested in other cites around Macon. This created a large boost in buisness for the streetcars becasue they were now bringing in buisness from visitors of the Ocmulgee Park. The building was an L- shaped building and provided Macon with streetcars until it was split and sold off to other existing comapanies. The trolleys were sold to Macon Transit Authority and the Lighting Compay was sold to what is now Georgia Power.


Works Cited:

"Streetcars of Macon." Streetcars of Macon. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2015.

Historic. (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
"The Macon Citizen (Macon, MO), 1900-04-27 :: Macon Citizen, 1898-1901."The Macon Citizen (Macon, MO), 1900-04-27 :: Macon Citizen, 1898-1901. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2015.