On Nov. 19, 1891, the cars began service. At the time, most people had only experienced electricity in the form of lightning during a storm. Many people viewed these single cars — with windows and seating, but no locomotive pulling them — as astounding. They were faster, ran more frequently, and the fare was much cheaper than travel on the steam railroads.
Charles Henry coined the phrase “Interurban.” He was a pioneer in proposing electric transportation systems to connect cities. By 1902, three different companies sought to build lines into Logansport, but the city council only wanted one company. The three competed to see which would be the one to build lines in Logansport and Cass County. This caused the court dockets to fill and companies tried to buy out each other’s interests. Alliances were made and shifted one day to the next and promised were made and rumors circulated.
In spite of many obstacles, the interurban line was completed and cars began travel between Logansport and Peru on May 15, 1903. During this era of the Wabash Valley Traction Line, Boyd Park was a favorite recreation area. It was located 9 miles east of Peru. It offered picnics and free entertainment on weekends.
Fares: It cost $2.40 to go all the way to Ft. Wayne and it took 4 hours. It cost 35¢ one way and 50¢ round trip for short trips.
The Wabash and Logansport Traction Line served several small communities east of Logansport. The first stop was Miami Bend, which stopped at the Pottowatomi Point area. At that time Pottowatomie Point was a summer retreat for the upper crust of society. Many leading citizens established summer homes along the banks of the Wabash. There was a wood frame waiting room, which measured 8’ x 10’.
The next stop was Cass Station for people wanting to visit Logansport Country Club. The interurban provided them with a waiting room near the tracks on the north bank of the river. Country Club members crossed the river by footbridge.
Another 5-minute ride took passengers to Lewisburg. Here the company had not only a waiting room but also a tool shed for equipment used when repairs were needed. Lewisburg had a general store and blacksmith shops, as well as surrounding houses. People from Onward, just 3 miles south, sometimes came to Lewisburg to board the interurban for trips to Ft. Wayne or Wabash, and later to Lafayette. The last stop before the county line serviced the people of the town of New Waverly, located two miles south of the lines.
An almost hourly schedule allowed much more flexibility in planning daily activities for people in these areas. Many passengers were farmers or small businessmen who couldn’t afford to be away from their occupation for an entire day.
Connecting to Lafayette
Expansion of the east-west line through Cass County occurred on Feb. 17, 1904, with the formation of the Ft. Wayne and Wabash Valley Traction Company. To prepare for the opening of the Lafayette to Ft. Wayne service, the company built a new car barn, a paint shop, a machine shop, and a power substation at the corner of Jefferson and 18th Streets in Logansport. The residents in the western part of Cass County eagerly awaited the completion of the line. Clymers was the only regular stop between Logansport and the county line. Regular service between Logansport and Lafayette began on July 1, 1907.
Connecting to the South
First stop was at Hilltop station – near Anoka — with a waiting room station and brick power station. Continuing through Washington Township, passengers were picked up at the Ramer waiting room and transported to the town of Walton. The route went on to stops in Lincoln and Galveston.By the summer of 1891, Joseph McNary and members of the Logansport Businessmen’s Association sought the installation of electric streetcars. A brick powerhouse and a barn for housing the new machines was built on the property. In October 1891, four new streetcars arrived in Logansport from the St. Louis Car Company and were greeted with great anticipation by local citizens.
