Early Chelsea Transportation

EARLY CHELSEA TRANSPORTATION

In the late 1840s a much needed new era of transportation came upon the scene, the steam railroad. This was soon followed by the horse drawn railway which replaced the stage coach. Population and businesses were rapidly increasing. The first bridge, Chelsea to Charlestown, was a toll bridge. The people going to and from Boston were obliged to either pay a high toll on the bridge, or to be inconvenienced on the ferry by delays caused by ice, fog, or by other vessels. A charter was granted on February 23, 1849 to the Grand Junction Railroad to run from East Boston, by way of Chelsea, to Boston. On May 2, 1849, the Eastern Railroad obtained a charter to extend it's road from North Chelsea (Revere) to connect with the Grand Junction Railroad in Chelsea. This gave direct connection to Boston and eastward. A line of omnibuses was established in January 1852, that ran from the Ferry to any part of the village. The coaches would meet every arrival of the boat.

On May 26, 1857, the Boston and Chelsea Horse Railway was chartered to run from the Revere line along Broadway to Boston. Also on May 26, 1857, the Winnisimmet Railway received a charter to run from Prattville along Washington Avenue, Hawthorn Street, Park Street to Winnisimmet Street and to the Ferry. The Chelsea Beach Railway was chartered on February 24, 1858, the first horse railway to the beach. On April 6, 1859, the Lynn and Boston Railway was chartered and a huge garage and maintenance shop was built on the corner of Washington Avenue and the Revere Beach Parkway. The Chelsea and East Boston Railway was established on May 5, 1865, running from Park Street down Pearl Street and across the Meridian Street Bridge. This road did not exist long before it was abandoned. In 1877 the road was taken over by the Metropolitan Railway and extended to Bellingham Square.

The mayor and aldermen passed a number of rules and regulations governing the street railways. It was ordered: "while using tracks of respective roads, the conductor shall not allow ladies or children to enter or leave cars while in motion; nor other passengers, unless at full stop or nearly so."

"Whenever there shall occur a fall of snow of sufficient depth to allow vehicles to pass over the same on runners, no snow plows shall be allowed to pass over tracks of aforesaid railway corporation within limits of city, shall not allow snow to be removed without consent in writing from the superintendent of streets. Being refused, the railway corporation is authorized to use sleighs until cars can be used on tracks. Without consent,

salt or any articles of a decomposing nature shall not be sprinkled on or over their tracks and rails, or cause to be washed by brine or pickle."

"No car shall be drawn at a greater rate of speed than seven miles an hour."

Toward the end of the nineteenth century the electric street car was replacing the horse drawn street cars. In December of 1900, the last horse drawn street car disappeared from the streets of Chelsea. All street railways in the city had become completely electrified.

Many Chelseans still recall the five cent fair on the Boston Elevated Railway street cars to Revere Beach in the 1930's. This is the same line that ran from Revere Beach through Revere, Chelsea and East Boston to be swallowed up by the Maverick Street subway tunnel, all that for five cents.

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In the late 1840s a much needed new era of transportation came upon the scene, the steam railroad. This was soon followed by the horse drawn railway which replaced the stage coach. Population and businesses were rapidly increasing. The first bridge, Chelsea to Charlestown, was a toll bridge. The people going to and from Boston were obliged to either pay a high toll on the bridge, or to be inconvenienced on the ferry by delays caused by ice, fog, or by other vessels. A charter was granted on February 23, 1849 to the Grand Junction Railroad to run from East Boston, by way of Chelsea, to Boston. On May 2, 1849, the Eastern Railroad obtained a charter to extend it's road from North Chelsea (Revere) to connect with the Grand Junction Railroad in Chelsea. This gave direct connection to Boston and eastward. A line of omnibuses was established in January 1852, that ran from the Ferry to any part of the village. The coaches would meet every arrival of the boat. On May 26, 1857, the Boston and Chelsea Horse Railway was chartered to run from the Revere line along Broadway to Boston. Also on May 26, 1857, the Winnisimmet Railway received a charter to run from Prattville along Washington Avenue, Hawthorn Street, Park Street to Winnisimmet Street and to the Ferry. The Chelsea Beach Railway was chartered on February 24, 1858, the first horse railway to the beach. On April 6, 1859, the Lynn and Boston Railway was chartered and a huge garage and maintenance shop was built on the corner of Washington Avenue and the Revere Beach Parkway. The Chelsea and East Boston Railway was established on May 5, 1865, running from Park Street down Pearl Street and across the Meridian Street Bridge. This road did not exist long before it was abandoned. In 1877 the road was taken over by the Metropolitan Railway and extended to Bellingham Square. The mayor and aldermen passed a number of rules and regulations governing the street railways. It was ordered: "while using tracks of respective roads, the conductor shall not allow ladies or children to enter or leave cars while in motion; nor other passengers, unless at full stop or nearly so." "Whenever there shall occur a fall of snow of sufficient depth to allow vehicles to pass over the same on runners, no snow plows shall be allowed to pass over tracks of aforesaid railway corporation within limits of city, shall not allow snow to be removed without consent in writing from the superintendent of streets. Being refused, the railway corporation is authorized to use sleighs until cars can be used on tracks. Without consent, salt or any articles of a decomposing nature shall not be sprinkled on or over their tracks and rails, or cause to be washed by brine or pickle." "No car shall be drawn at a greater rate of speed than seven miles an hour." Toward the end of the nineteenth century the electric street car was replacing the horse drawn street cars. In December of 1900, the last horse drawn street car disappeared from the streets of Chelsea. All street railways in the city had become completely electrified. Many Chelseans still recall the five cent fair on the Boston Elevated Railway street cars to Revere Beach in the 1930's. This is the same line that ran from Revere Beach through Revere, Chelsea and East Boston to be swallowed up by the Maverick Street subway tunnel, all that for five cents.
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