The Trolleys that Connected Erie County
On June 25, 1889, the first electric streetcar operated in Erie, Pennsylvania. Within a short period of time interurban electric trolley routes were built connecting Erie with Meadville, Conneaut, and Buffalo.
Just as the coming of the railroad made a dramatic improvement in the movement of goods and people across the United States, the electric trolley car made a transformational change in local transportation. The farmer could get his or her produce to the urban market. The factory worker no longer had to live next to the factory but could live out in the county and commute to work by trolley car.
Between 1906 and 1922, it was possible to make a 1,082 mile trip by trolley car from Oneonta in central New York via Buffalo to Erie, and Cleveland to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin by trolley car. There were 20 connections to be made, and if they were made the trip would have required four days.
Join Ken Springirth, the author of 40 books on trolleys and trains, for a fascinating lecture on an important part of our nation's transportation heritage
*This event will be held at Edinboro University's William P. Alexander Music Center on 110 Kiltie Road, Edindoro, PA 16444
Ken Springirth is a graduate of Drexel Institute of Technology (today Drexel University) with a B.S. Degree in Mechanical Engineering and is a retired Harborcreek Township Supervisor. Ken is the author of 40 books on railroads and light rail systems, and over the last 60 years has been on a mission to document the region's amazing rail heritage. Expressing thanks for the hard work residents have contributed to make Harborcreek Township a great place to live in, Ken is grateful for the opportunity to provide the results of his research on the proposed Harborcreek Intermodal Rail Terminal.
