1905 Sherman / Ottmann Bird's Eye View of Connecticut Valley

A scarce 1905 Ernest A. Sherman pictorial view of the Connecticut River Valley between Hartford, Connecticut and Greenfield, Massachusetts. It highlights the rise of public transit in New England through interurban electric train and trolley lines.

A Closer Look

Oriented with north to the right, the view traces the lines of various companies operating lines in the Connecticut River Valley in white (lines under construction are marked with dashes), along with branch lines to nearby towns, cities, and attractions, namely Mt. Tom, the summit of which was reached by trolley. Mountains, hills, farmland, factories, cities, and towns are illustrated, with Springfield and Hartford standing out most prominently. Both cities emerged as manufacturing powerhouses in the years preceding this map's publication, making everything from sewing machines, automobiles, typewriters, motorcycles, and firearms to railroad cars. Text and photographs on the verso include descriptions of towns and cities served by trolley cars, as well as attractions like Mt. Tom and the casino at Forest Lake Park in Palmer, Massachusetts.

Interurban Electric Streetcars or Trolleys

This view was a collaborative promotional piece issued by the Northampton Street Railway, Connecticut Valley Street Railway, the Holyoke Street Railway, the Springfield Street Railway, the Woronoco Street Railway, the Springfield and Eastern Street Railway, the Hartford and Springfield Street Railway, and the Hartford Street Railway. These lines began as an urban streetcar service in a given city but could travel at higher speeds on a separate right of way in rural areas, connecting to nearby cities. Known as a rural trolley, such services were distinct from, though functionally similar to, dedicated interurban trolley lines.

In either case, electric trolley lines multiplied rapidly in southern New England in the brief period when electrification became widespread but before the automobile age. These lines were often short-lived, being acquired by competitors and consolidated into major companies, which were then subsequently incorporated into urban transit systems. At one point in the early 20th century, a traveler could take one of three separate interurban trolley routes between Boston and New York City.

Publication History and Census

This view was drawn by Ernest A. Sherman, printed by Jacob Ottmann, and published by Thomas C. Perkins in 1905. Information on Perkins is limited, but he was a businessman (investor and broker) and an active promoter of interurban electric trolleys. The OCLC notes this view among the holdings of the University of California Santa Barabra, Southern Methodist University, the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, and the CW Mars library consortium based in Worcester, Massachusetts.