// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy Guthrie Railway? It's a train of thought.
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | McAlester |
| Locale | Oklahoma |
| Dates of operation | 1905–1927 |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 7.65 miles (12.31 km) |
The Guthrie Railway was an electrified trolley/streetcar service within the city of Guthrie, Oklahoma. Starting in 1905, the service ran until 1927.
History
[edit]Guthrie, while founded as just a station stop along a Santa Fe Railway predecessor in 1887, became a full-blown town in 1889 immediately after the Oklahoma Land Run, and was selected as Territorial Capital of the Oklahoma Territory in 1890, a title it would hold until it became the capital of the newly-formed State of Oklahoma from 1907 to 1910.[1] Regarding its transportation needs, the original franchise for trolley service within Guthrie was awarded to Oklahoma Traction Company, a predecessor of the Oklahoma City-based Oklahoma Railway Company (“ORC”) around 1903.[2] The Guthrie Railway was separately organized in 1905, obtained the franchise, built its trackage, and made its first run on May 26, 1905.[3] The electrified system at that point was about 6.5 miles, operated with 9 cars.[3] The mileage varied over time, with the total near the end of 1908 being 7.65 miles,[4] and the total near the end of 1910 being 7.50 miles.[5]
With Guthrie's capital days behind it with the selection of Oklahoma City—which was six times larger—as state capital in 1910, land values in the city sank by 80%.[6] In that environment, all of the outstanding bonds of the Guthrie Railway were purchased by ORC in 1913, and Guthrie Railway came under common control with ORC at that time; however, the two remained separate companies.[2] This remained true in 1916 when ORC ran a 16-mile line from Edmund into Guthrie,[7] completing a 31-mile trolley route between Oklahoma City and Guthrie.[3] ORC utilized a small part of Guthrie Railway's rails and its trolley station a few years for that service, but did end up building its own station and discontinuing any usage of Guthrie Railway tracks.[2] The ownership situation became more confusing in 1920 when Guthrie Railway leased cars from ORC showing the “Oklahoma Railway” name, but with no merger or takeover occurring between the companies.[2] The Guthrie Railway ran until 1927, at which time the system was abandoned, with the power poles, wires and tracks on unpaved streets being removed.[2] However, tracks on paved street were left in place and became in later years the subject of a lawsuit by the City of Guthrie against ORC for removal, said case being unsuccessful as the court confirmed the defunct Guthrie Railway was a separate company from ORC.[2]
ORC for its part did not abandon its trolley route into Guthrie for about two more decades, with the last trolley running on November 9, 1946.[3]
References
[edit]- ↑ "History of Guthrie". Greater Guthrie Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Oklahoma Railway Co. v. City of Guthrie, 1935 OK 1167, 52 P.2d 18, 175 Okla. 40 (Okla. 1935". Plainsite.org. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Chandler, Allison (1980). When Oklahoma Took the Trolley. Interurbans. pp. 55–60. ISBN 0-916374-35-1.
- ↑ "Table No. 14". First Biennial Report of the State Auditor Oklahoma, 1907-1908, p.147 (accessed on Oklahoma Department of Libraries website). Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Table 12". Second Biennial Report of the State Auditor Oklahoma, 1909-1910, p.82 (accessed on Oklahoma Department of Libraries website). Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Guthrie's Greatness". OKMagazine, March 28, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Oklahoma Railway Company". Railroads of Oklahoma, June 6, 1870-April 1, 1978, pp.58-60 (accessed on Oklahoma Department of Libraries website). Retrieved March 30, 2026.