The Morris County Traction Company began trolley service in downtown

Dover, New Jersey Dover is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. Located on the Rockaway River, Dover is about west of New York City and about west of Newark, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 18,157,

in July 1904. It was expanded over the years until the system was completed in 1914 to

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Bertrand Island Amusement Park Bertrand Island Amusement Park was located on Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey in the Borough of Mount Arlington, New Jersey. It was actually located on a narrow finger-shaped peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides, that jutted into Lake Hopatcon ...

Lake Hopatcong Lake Hopatcong is the largest freshwater body in New Jersey, United States, about in area. Located from the Delaware River and from Manhattan, New York City, the lake forms part of the border between Sussex and Morris counties in the state's ...

, Ledgewood, Succasunna, Kenvil, Mine Hill, Dover, Wharton, Rockaway Borough, Denville,

Mountain Lakes A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher ...

Boonton Boonton is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 8,815, an increase of 468 (+5.6%) from the 2010 census count of 8,347, which in turn reflected a decline of 149 (− ...

, Morris Plains (including

Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital (also known as Greystone Psychiatric Park, Greystone Psychiatric Hospital, or simply Greystone and formerly known as the State Asylum for the Insane at Morristown, New Jersey State Hospital, Morris Plains, and M ...

), Morristown,

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

, Summit, Irvington,

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

, and

Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...

, a distance of about 75 miles. The line ran on both exclusive

right-of-way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...

streets and on city streets, some of which, such as Broad Street in Summit, were designed and built to accommodate the trolley line. The power house for the trolley was located along the Passaic River in Summit, on the border of

Chatham, New Jersey "The Chathams" is a term used in reference to shared services for two neighboring municipalities in Morris County, New Jersey, United States – Chatham Borough and Chatham Township. The two are separate municipalities. The first, a town that w ...

. Between 1926 and 1928, after private automobiles became more prominent on the roads, the trolley lines were replaced by buses.

Modern remnants

A two mile portion of the former Morris County Traction Company trolley line, along

New Jersey Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

's Morris and Essex line in

Morris Township, New Jersey Morris Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township's population was 22,974, reflecting an increase of 668 (+3.0%) from the 22,306 counted in the 2010 Census, which had ...

, now serves as a bike and walking trail called the

Traction Line Recreation Trail The Traction Line Recreation Trail is a multi-use rail trail located in Morristown, New Jersey. This trail uses a rail corridor which was built for the Morris County Traction Company trolley line, which runs alongside New Jersey Transit's Morr ...

, under the supervision of the Morris County Park System.Traction Line Recreation Trail
, accessed November 29, 2006 In

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

, a portion of the line forked off of Morris Avenue. Part of the right of way and partial grading is very noticeable behind Holy Spirit Church. Huguenot Avenue and Euclid Avenues have the same compass orientation as this portion of the line. The Summit car barn was still in existence as of November 2008. The building was located on River Road in Summit, just north of the intersection with Chatham Road. A turntable was visible between the Passaic River and the building. The building, then vacant, had been a car dealership, and earlier, a

Public Service Coordinated Transport Transport of New Jersey (TNJ), earlier Public Service Transportation and then Public Service Coordinated Transport, was a street railway and bus company in the U.S. state of New Jersey from 1917 to 1980, when NJ Transit took over their operation ...

bus servicing facility for the number 70 and 72 routes. These routes replaced the MCTC lines when PS assumed the routes in the late 1920s. The bridge over the Passaic River between Chatham and Summit is gone, but the piers still stand in the river. The Dover NJ car barn is still in use as a facility for

Lakeland Bus Lines Lakeland Bus Lines, Inc is a privately chartered and apportioned bus company headquartered in Dover, New Jersey. Lakeland operates commuter routes from Morris, Sussex, Somerset and Essex Counties, NJ to New York City. Routes Lakeland Bus Lines ...

. In Mountain Lakes the right-of-way is used as a paved cycle and walking path. It is located along the left side of Boulevard between Boonton and Route 46.

Modern remnants

See also

References

Further reading