Chautauqua Traction Company stock certificate c1903 (New York)

Uncommon NY interurban streetcar piece. Excellent electric trolley car vignette. Nice green border and underprint. Unissued and not cancelled. Dated 190_ but circa 1903 from state records. Measures approximately 11 x 8.5 inches.

The Chautauqua Traction Company was an electric street railway and interurban trolley line formed in 1903 and operated along the western shore of Chautauqua Lake in New York, connecting Jamestown and Westfield. The company was owned by the Broadhead family, who also owned the Jamestown Street Railway (and later the Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad).

Route:
Connected Jamestown to Westfield, running down the west side of Chautauqua Lake through communities like Mayville and Ashville. In 1906 the company built a line along Portage Road between Mayville and Westfield. The line was built on the right-of-way of the never-constructed Westfield, Mayville and Chautauqua Motor Railroad Company. The first cars arrived in Westfield on September 24, 1906. In 1909 the Chautauqua Traction Company extended its line to the village of Barcelona on the shores of Lake Erie, a section known as the “Hop Toad.” This segment was not successful and was abandoned in 1920.

Purpose:
Carried local residents, freight, and summer visitors heading to the famous Chautauqua Institution.

Connections:
Provided vital passenger and tourist links, connecting with steamships on the lake and the Nickel Plate Railroad in Westfield.

Timeline:
Operated from 1903 before shutting down relatively early in 1926 due to rising competition from automobiles and buses.

Rivals:
Its main competitor was the Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad (JW&NW), which ran along the eastern side of the lake and lasted until 1947.

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