Yes, Hopewell Borough and Pennington Borough actually had trolley service – from the early 1900s through the 1920s. We know quite a bit about the local trolley companies and services, and now have posted 25-some images of trolley cars and tracks.
However, we still have some lingering confusions, especially understanding where the trolley tracks ended in Hopewell, and where they ran along the streets.
The basics are clear: Trolley service from Trenton to Pennington ran from 1903 to 1931, and the Hopewell extension operated from 1904 to 1924. In 1904, the fare from Trenton to Hopewell was 35 cents, running every hour from 8:00 am. By 1924 the fare had increased to 40 cents for the 45-minute trip.
The line from Trenton to Pennington came north up through the town on Main Street. It then extended to Hopewell, continuing up Main and over the railroad tracks, up the east side of what is now Route 31, then over to Hopewell on the Pennington-Hopewell Road (now also Route 654). As the line reached Hopewell, the tracks ran up West Broad Street, crossed Greenwood Avenue, and continued down East Broad Street.
- For more on the trolley lines, see the earlier post on Hopewell Valley Trolley Routes – 1902 – 1931
- View all trolley photos in the Image Gallery (trolley cars ands track, Hopewell and Pennington)
End of the Line
So where did the trolley line run in Hopewell? We have numerous images that show trolley cars and tracks in town, on West Broad Street on the route into town, and then as the route continued down East Broad Street. However, we do not have images of the end of the line in Hopewell, or even images very far down East Broad.
We do have the 1905 Mueller Driving and Trolley Map of Mercer County, which shows the trolley route up from Trenton through Pennington into Hopewell (with the dashed line on the red highlighted major roads). The trolley line clearly ends at the borough line, adjacent to what is now Elm Street (with the original boundary lines).
- View the 1905 Mueller Driving Map in the Pan/Zoom Viewer
Unfortunately, the 1906 U.S. Geological Survey Topographic Map for the Lambertville Quadrant (and the 1907 U.S.G.S. Trenton map) disagrees, showing the trolley line (as “Traction Co”) continuing beyond the borough line to the end of the map. Yet it would not make sense to run the trolley line into the rural area outside of town.
Thankfully, the line ending at Elm Street is well supported by contemporaneous newspaper reports. These include 1904 discussions of the completion of the line there, and 1916 reports of the Firemen’s Carnival, that was held at the east end of town at the end of the trolley line.
Trenton Times, Sept. 2, 1904 – Hopewell Trolley to the borough line:
The Trenton Street Railway Company has about completed the putting down of its tracks for the Hopewell extension. Rails are laid as far as the Hopewell borough line and it is expected that the system will be ready for operation in about ten days. … As soon as the tracks to the Hopewell borough line are done work will be commenced placing rails and wires through Hopewell …
Hopewell Herald, Nov. 23, 1904 – First Trolley to the east end of the borough:
The first trolley passed all the way through the borough to the east end on Wednesday
afternoon at eight o’clock. Since then all have gone the full length of town.
Hopewell Herald., July 19 1916 – Carnival at the end of the trolley line, at the east end of the borough (i.e., the open field that is now the bank and shopping center, where Community Day also was later held):
The [carnival] grounds this year are at the east end of the borough at the end of the trolley line…
Tracking Tracks
The other question is where the tracks ran along the street. Most images show the tracks in the center of the (originally dirt) streets in both Hopewell and Pennington.
We do not have definitive information on where the trolley stopped along the route to drop off and pick up passengers. A couple of the photos do show the trolley power lines hanging down the center of the street, with “Cars Stop Here” signs hanging from the lines at a stop.
However, it appears that the trolley tracks on East Broad originally ran down the side of the street. A newspaper article discussing a similar situation in Trenton explained the problem with tracks running along the side of the road:
The tracks of the traction company as now located are a nuisance and a handicap to residents on the easterly side of the street, for they run directly along the curb, needing leaving no space for a vehicle to drive to a dwelling and stop. [Sunday Times Advertiser. June 24, 1923]
Several newspaper articles then reported that the trolley company was required to move the tracks on West Broad Street from the side of the street to the center. Unfortunately, there are no reports of when this was done, what part of the street was changed, and what happened on East Broad Street:
“[The borough council is working on] notifying the Trenton and Mercer Traction Company to remove its tracks from one side to the centre of the street on West Broad Street as this is now a county road.” [Sunday Times-Advertiser. Sunday, Aug. 15, 1915]
Mayor Smith reports that he had taken up the matter of moving the trolley tracks on West Broad from the side to the center of the street, … and had received assurances that the change would be made either this fall or next spring. [Hopewell Herald, June 14, 1916]
There a are a handful of apparently earlier photos that possibly show tracks along the side of West Broad Street, but nothing definitive. But what a pain for the trolley company to move the newly-placed tracks!
Please contact us if you have additional information or materials on the local trolley service that you can share.
More on Hopewell Valley Trolleys
The Trenton and Mercer County Traction Company ran a trolley line from Trenton to Pennington and Hopewell from 1902 to 1931, joining other lines to Lawrenceville and Princeton from 1899 to 1939. Service reached Pennington in 1903, and then Hopewell in 1904. Service to Hopewell ended in December 1924, while Pennington service continued to July 1931.
Posts & Papers
- Post – Hopewell Valley Trolley Routes – 1902-1931
– Local trolley lines – includes history, maps, and vignettes - Post – Hopewell Trolley Questions
– Where did the line end in Hopewell, and where did it run along the road? - Paper – Hopewell Valley Trolleys – Roadbed’s Remains as of 1980 (PDF) by Jim Klaiber
– Includes summary chronology - Post – Builders’ Guide to Hopewell Valley Construction Projects – 1888-1940
– Includes details on trolley construction proposals – 1899-1902
Video & Images
- Video – Take the Trolley: The Trolley Age in Mercer County (YouTube) by Dennis Waters
- Images – Trolley Images (Image Gallery) – Hopewell, Pennington, mementos
