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1832 reference to the Pontchartrain Railroad by Buddy Stahl
"Because of the large influx of nonresidents
in the French Quarter, New Orleans’ first transportation system was started. The fare in 1832 was 12 1/2 cents. The
service began with two small, horse-drawn vehicles. The line ran from Canal to Chartres, down Chartres to Jackson Square,
then to the cotton presses on Levee Street. From there it went to the Pontchartrain Railroad depot, located near the river
on Elysian Fields Avenue. In a very short time, the service was overloaded, due to the vehicles’ limited carrying capacity.
The owners of the line resolved the problem almost immediately. The Louisiana Advertiser newspaper ran an article stating
that the two small omnibuses were to be replaced. The new vehicles, built by Messrs. Carter of New York, arrived in New Orleans
and were hastily put into service on Dec. 19, 1832. The name given the two were “Cotton Plant” and “Tobacco
Plant.” Each carried 14 passengers, comfortably seated, and they were each pulled by four horses. Service began at 7
a.m. and stopped at 7:30 p.m. As an additional service to their customers, the omnibuses also carried letter boxes. For the
comfort of its female passengers, a sign in each carriage requested that gentlemen not smoke. " Source: http://clarionherald.org/20010927/stall.htm
1830 - Pontchartrain Rail-Road Company is chartered
The Conseil de Ville backed up the state-granted charter
to the Pontchartrain Railroad by granting permission for the firm to use what we know today as the Elysian Fields Avenue neutral
ground. ~ Capital $500,000. President, WCC Claiborne; Secretary, Jno. B. Leefe; Directors Saml W. Oakey, Gaston Brusle, John
B B Vignie, A Plicque, E L Bernard, P Guesnon. ~ Length of the Rail Road from the City to Lake Pontchartrain, about five miles--nearly
two tracks of rails completed. The company was chartered in 1830. The road was open for business on the 23d April, 1831. The
cost of the road has been $500,000. ~ Officers of the Road--General Superintendent, Hartwell Reed; Chief Engineer, Hamon Turner;
Local Superintendent city end, W E Proseus, Ticket Seller city end, J Dumangel; Local Superintendent lake end, R Prouty; Ticket
Seller lake end, George L. Brown. ~ The Pontchartrain Railroad derived steady income by carrying mail from the city to its
terminus on Lake Pontchartrain for transfer to ships that would then carry it on to Mobile. ~ Source: http://nutrias.org/~nopl/exhibits/choochoo/page1.htm
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