Token of history
A quick follow up to last week's post about the history of trolleys in the Capital Region: Andrea mentioned to us that she once found an old trolley token outside her apartment in Albany. And she sent along pics. One for each side is above.
The United Traction Company operated the trolleys in Albany for almost five decades. UTC was formed in 1899 by the merger of the Albany Railway, the Troy City Railway, and the Watervliet Turnpike and Railway Company. Its headquarters were at the Columbia and Broadway in downtown Albany -- the building is still there. The company switched over to buses when the trolleys stopped, and was later folded into CDTA during the 1970s.
If you'd like to see what an untarnished token looked, the New-York Historical Society has a photo.
(Thanks, Andrea!)
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Comments
Another stunning bit of beauty by Marcus Reynolds, who in a very short time transformed a slightly down-at-the-heels turn-of-that-other-century Albany into a city of palaces. Downtown Albany as we know it would not exist without him. He created this loveliness cater-corner from the Union Station. He created the Municipal Gas Building, Albany Trust Building, National Savings Bank Building, and the First Trust Building that anchors State and Broadway. He threw up the D&H headquarters and Evening Journal building (now SUNY Administration) in his spare time. He created the inimitable Hook and Ladder No. 4 on Delaware Avenue.
Take away the buildings of Reynolds, Ogden, and Philip Hooker, and you would have a city with the charm of a Motel 6.
... said Carl on Apr 9, 2013 at 5:13 PM | link
The name of the United traction Co. was still on that building until a few years back when someone decided to remove it...damm them.
... said Eric Scheirer Stott on Apr 9, 2013 at 6:18 PM | link
I recently identified an old photo I found in a home I bought in Albany as that of a United Traction Company baseball team. I had posted on Facebool and someone recognized the team insignia as belonging to United Traction Company. I bought the house over 30 years ago and had always wondered about the photo..mystery solved! Two photo's..one is a close up.
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc118/ChristineD2/29814_1399029412562_4957091_n.jpg?t=1391369790
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc118/ChristineD2/29814_1399035412712_2023915_n.jpg?t=1391369796
... said Chris on Feb 2, 2014 at 2:43 PM | link