Scope and Content

Collection contains four printed copies of an ordinance.

The ​J. Mercer Carter Franchise Interurban Ordinance granted J. Mercer Carter (and his associates) the right to construct, maintain, and operate interurban surface and local electric railways on certain streets in Dallas.  The ordinance forms the basis for the Eastern, Northern, and Southern Interurban routes.

The document is a full description of the rights, expectations, and geographical boundaries related to the contract.

The first interurban system in Texas was built in 1901 by the Texas Traction Company.  It was a 10-mile line from Sherman to Denison.   By 1909, the company had built the 65-mile line to connect Sherman/Denison with Dallas.   Northern Texas Traction Company, formed in 1902, built the first electric streetcar line in Dallas.   The streetcars and the interurban lines were vital in the development of Dallas and of North Texas. Real estate developers used them as amenities to support the idea of suburban life where a person could easily commute to downtown. Ridership had begun to steadily decline because of increased automobile ownership, and the interurban made its final run on December 31, 1948.

Organization

NA

Access

Permission to publish, reproduce, distribute, or use by any and all other current or future developed methods or procedures must be obtained in writing from the Dallas Municipal Archives. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards. It is the responsibility of the user to obtain copyright authorization for any images.

Citation

J. Mercer Carter Interurban Franchise Ordinance, 1906, 1908 (Box <x>, Folder <y>), Dallas Municipal Archives

Related Material

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