The Atlanta Street Railway was the first streetcar system in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. Originally chartered by the state of Georgia on February 23, 1866, by

George Hillyer George Hillyer (March 17, 1835October 2, 1927) was an American politician, serving as the 29th Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, as well as a state representative and senator. He was also an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Ci ...

, John Westmoreland and

John Thrasher John Thrasher (February 24, 1818–November 13, 1899) was the founder of the city of Norcross, Georgia, an original pioneer of Atlanta, and a well-travelled entrepreneur throughout the American Southeast. Founding of Atlanta In 1839, T ...

soon after the city put such onerous demands on the company – including paving large chunks of the then totally unpaved town – that it lay dormant for years. On January 1, 1869, the city reduced the bulk of these demands and in April 1871, Richard Peters and

George Adair George Washington Adair (March 1, 1823 – September 29, 1899) was a real-estate developer in post Civil War Atlanta. Early life Col George Washington Adair was born 1 Mar 1823, of Scots-Irish parentage in rural Morgan County, Georgia. His par ...

bought out the charter and, months later, on September 1, 1871, opened the first section connecting Five Points to the West End – a route that passed by both of their homes. In the years to follow they established more of these

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...

rail lines with cars pulled by mules and horses: *March 30, 1873 – Taylor Hill (high spot one block south of the Georgia Dome) line to the near west side which failed the next yearCarson, O.E., ''The Trolley Titans'', 1981, p.5 *May 26, 1873 – Washington St down McDonough St (now Capitol Ave) *1874 – Peachtree to Pine. Later to Ponce and Ponce Springs The car and animal shed was located near Five Points on both sides of Line St (now Edgewood) at Ivy (Peachtree Center Ave). In 1878, Adair sold his interests to Peters giving him 80% control and with Peters's death in 1889 control went to his son Edward Peters. At that time the line owned of track, fifty streetcars and 200 horses and mules. In 1891 the company was absorbed into the

Atlanta Consolidated Street Railway The Atlanta Consolidated Street Railway was an attempt by Joel Hurt to take over the various Atlanta streetcar systems. Incorporated in May 1891, Hurt began negotiations to consolidate widely overlapping competing companies. On September 21, 189 ...

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{{Atlanta history History of Atlanta Defunct public transport operators in the United States Companies based in Atlanta Railway lines in Atlanta

See also

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