TRANSIT SYSTEMS IN IOWA

SMALLER CITIES


Albia

1907-1915 - Albia Interurban Railway Co.
1915-1916 - Southern Iowa Railway & Light Co.
1916-1925 - Albia Light & Railway Co.
1922 - streetcars discontinued

HISTORIC INTERURBAN RAILWAY
Albia-Hiteman/Hocking (1908-1925)

Boone

Horse Car
1883-1889 - Boone & Boonsboro Street Railway Co.
1889-1893 - Boone Street Railway Co.
1893-1897 - Boone Electric Street Railway Light & Power Co.
1896 - horse cars replaced with electric streetcars

1897-1912 - Boone Electric Street Railway & Light Co.
1912-1925 - Iowa Railway & Light Co.
1925-1932 - Iowa Railway & Light Corp.
1932-1934 - Iowa Electric Light & Power Co.
1934 - streetcars discontinued

1949-1962 - Boone Bus Service

Centerville

Mule Car
1887-1900 - Peoples Street Railway Co.
1900-1906 - Citizens Electric Light & Gas Co.
1902 - mule cars replaced with electric streetcars

1906-1917 - Centerville Light & Traction Co.
1917-1926 - Iowa Southern Utilities Co.
1925 - streetcars replaced with buses

1926-1933 - Southern Iowa Utilities Co.

HISTORIC INTERURBAN RAILWAY
Albia-Centerville (1914-1933)/Centerville-Mystic (1909-1933)

Charles City

1915-1952 - Charles City Western Railway Co.
1921 - streetcars discontinued

Private bus co. in 1952 - Nixt City Bus Line

HISTORIC INTERURBAN RAILWAY
Charles City-Marble Rock/Colwell (1915-1952)

Colfax

1908-1923 - Colfax Springs Railway Co.
1923 - streetcars discontinued

Fort Dodge

1903-1907 - Fort Dodge Light & Power Co.
1907-1925 - Fort Dodge Des Moines & Southern Railroad Co.
1925 - streetcars replaced with buses operated by affiliated company

After 1925 - Fort Dodge Des Moines & Southern Transportation Co.
Prior to 1949 - Fort Dodge Transit Co.
1949-1966 - Fort Dodge Transportation Co.

HISTORIC INTERURBAN RAILWAY
1907-1955 - Fort Dodge Des Moines & Southern Railroad Co.
Fort Dodge-Des Moines (1907-1955)
Fort Dodge-Webster City/Lehigh (1916-1927)/Kelley-Ames (1907-1928)/Boone-Rockwell City (1911-1926)

Replacement interurban bus service operated most years by Overland Greyhound Lines

Fort Madison

Horse Car
1888-1914 - Fort Madison Street Railway Co.
1895 - horse cars replaced with electric streetcars

1914-1929 - Mississippi Valley Electric Co.
1929 - streetcars discontinued

Private bus co. in 1952 - Midwest Transit Lines

Independence

1892-1907 - Independence & Rush Park Railway

Keokuk

Horse Car
1883-1890 - Keokuk Street Railway Co.
1890 - horse cars replaced with electric streetcars operated by new company

1890-1894 - Keokuk Electric Street Railway & Power Co.
1894-1901 - Keokuk Electric Railway Co.
1901-1911 - Keokuk Electric Railway & Power Co.
1911-1928 - Keokuk Electric Co.
1928 - streetcars discontinued

1937-1949 - Keokuk Motor Bus Co.
1949-1962 - Midwest Transit Lines
After 1969 - Elmer H. Davis Co.

HISTORIC INTERURBAN RAILWAY
Keokuk-Warsaw IL (1913-1928)

Marshalltown

Horse Car
1878-1889 - Marshalltown Street Railway Co.
1889-1893 - Marshalltown Passenger Railway Co.
1892-1893 - horse cars replaced with electric streetcars operated by new company

1892-1912 - Marshalltown Light Power & Railway Co.
1912-1925 - Iowa Railway & Light Co.
1925-1932 - Iowa Railway & Light Corp.
1929 - streetcars replaced with buses

1932-1944 - Iowa Electric Light & Power Co.
After 1944 - Yeaman Transit Co.

Muscatine

Horse Car
1883-1886 - Muscatine Street Railway
1886-1893 - Muscatine City Railway Co.
1893 - horse cars replaced with electric streetcars operated by new company

1893-1902 - Muscatine Electric Railway Co.
1902-1906 - Citizens' Railway & Light Co.
1906-1910 - Muscatine Light & Traction Co.
1910-1928 - Clinton Davenport & Muscatine Railway
1928-1929 - Iowa Electric Co.
1929 - streetcars discontinued

Private bus co. in 1952 - Midwest Transit Lines

HISTORIC INTERURBAN RAILWAY
Clinton-Davenport (1904-1940)/Davenport-Muscatine (1912-1938)
1904-1915 - Iowa & Illinois Railway (Clinton-Davenport)
1912-1915 - Davenport & Muscatine Railway Co.
1915-1928 - Clinton Davenport & Muscatine Railway
1928-1940 - Iowa Electric Co.

Replacement interurban bus service operated by Tri-City Railway Co. (1941-1941)
Muscatine Davenport & Clinton Bus Co. (1942-1944)
Burlington Trailways (after 1944)

Newton

Private bus co. in 1952 - Newton Transit Co.

Oskaloosa

Horse Car
1890-1892 - Oskaloosa Railway & Land Co.
1892-1903 - Oskaloosa Street Railway & Land Co.
1902 - horse cars replaced with electric streetcars

1903-1924 - Oskaloosa Traction & Light Co.
1924-1926 - Des Moines Electric Light Co.
1926 - streetcars discontinued

Private bus co. in 1952 - Safeway Cab Co.

HISTORIC INTERURBAN RAILWAY
Oskaloosa-Beacon
1907-1920 - Oskaloosa-Buxton Electric Railway Co.

Storm Lake

Private bus co. in 1952 - The City Bus Line

Toledo

1894-1910 - Tama & Toledo Electric Railway Co.
1910-1912 - Tama & Toledo Railway Co.
1912-1929 - Iowa Railway & Light Co.
1925 - streetcars replaced with buses

HISTORIC INTERURBAN RAILWAY
Tama-Toledo (1894-1925)


ADDITIONAL CITIES WITH HORSE CARS ONLY

In several smaller cities in Iowa, horse car routes were constructed in the late 1800's. But those routes were abandoned early, never converted to electric power.

Hawarden - Calliope & Hawarden Street Railway Co. (1887-1892)
Red Oak - Red Oak Street Railroad Co. (1882-1895, mule)
Red Oak - Red Oak Street Railway Co. (1895-1905, mule)


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