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West Chester Street Railway Co. ledgers

Creation: 1917-1930
 Collection
Accession: 2794

Abstract

West Chester Street Railway Co. offered trolley service to Chester County, Pennsylvania, residents from 1890 to 1929. This collection consists of two account books and one stock record book. These volumes would be useful for researchers interested in the operating expenses of early twentieth-century light rail companies and railroad accounting practices.

Dates

  • Creation: 1917-1930

Creator

Extent

3 volume(s)

Historical Note

West Chester Street Railway Co. offered trolley service to Chester County, Pennsylvania, residents from 1890 to 1929. The company was incorporated on August 4, 1890, and opened in September 1891. The main route was between West Chester and Coatesville. A branch from West Chester to Leilape Station of Wilmington & Northern Railroad (4 miles) opened in November 1891. The company's headquarters and depot were located on South High Street's west side in West Chester. Wilmington & Northern controlled the company's stock. Trolley service ended in November 1929, and the company ceased operation on December 1929. The company's equipment (fourteen trolleys) and real estate (forty miles of track) was sold to the Chester Valley Security Company at a trustees' sale in January 1930. A bus route substituted between locations.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of two account books and one stock record book. The account book adheres to the Interstate Commerce Commission's 1914 railroad system of accounts, which required companies to document their operating expenses on 261 separate accounts divided into six categories: Maintenance of Way and Structures, Maintenance of Equipment, Transportation Expenses, Traffic Expenses, Miscellaneous Expenses, and General Expenses. The name of the individual or company, total amount, and date paid are listed in chronological order. Not all 261 columns are used. Additional information includes holding tax, income tax, and accrued taxes. The two volumes date from 1917 to the company's dissolution in 1930.

The stock book contains the name, date issued, number of shares, and certificate number. Only five pages are completed; the remaining pages are blank. The volume dates from 1920 to 1925.

These volumes would be useful for researchers interested in the operating expenses of early twentieth-century light rail companies and railroad accounting practices.

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Language of Materials

English

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title:
West Chester Street Railway Co. ledgers
Author:
Laurie Sather
Date:
2022
Description rules:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description:
English
Script of description:
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository

Contact:
PO Box 3630
Wilmington Delaware 19807 USA
302-658-2400