Rhode Island Public Transit Authority


University Archives and Special Collections
15 Lippitt Road
Kingston, RI 02881-2011
Tel: 401-874-4632

email: archives@etal.uri.edu

Published in 2013

Collection Overview

Title: Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
Date range: 1891-2000, (bulk 1891-2000)
Creator: Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
Extent: 9 box(es)
(3.75 linear feet)
Abstract: The collection consists of business agent files, pamphlets, photographs, and other documents from the Union Railroad, Rhode Island Company, New Haven Railroad, United Electric Railways Company, United Transit Company, and Rhode Island Public Transit Authority.
Language of materials: English
Repository: University Archives and Special Collections
Collection number: Mss. Gr. 234

Scope & content

The Records of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority include an assortment of documents and ephemera from RIPTA's earliest inception as the Union Railroad up until RIPTA today. Documents include business agent files, operations manuals, ticket books, and other management-related documents.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in six series as follows:

  • 1. Union Railroad
  • 2. Rhode Island Company
  • 3. United Electric Railways Company
  • 4. United Transit Company
  • 5. Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
  • 6. Oversize and Ephemera

Historical note

The Rhode Island Public Transit authority first began in 1865 as a privately owned horse-operated system known as the Union Railroad. Transportation was rapidly transformed with the introduction of the electric trolley car in 1889. By 1902, the Union Railroad became the Rhode Island Company, and just four years late in 1906, became a part of the New Haven Railroad. Over the years, the transit system saw the rapid increase of services and passengers. In 1921, it was reorganized as United Electric Railways Company, only to be purchased in 1926 by the New England Power Company and Rhode Island Service Company. Soon enough, the system was reinvented as the United Transit Company in 1951 and several years later, buses replaced the trolley system. In 1964, the Rhode Island General Assembly created the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority. Services began in July of 1966, ending the privatization of transit system in Rhode Island.

Access & Use

Access to the collection: Any qualified person doing scholarly research is permitted to use material housed in the Special Collections Unit.
Use of the materials: Terms governing use and reproduction: Photocopying and scanning of materials is a fee based service available in the repository and is allowed at the discretion of the Archivist when in compliance to the Unit's policy on copyright and publication.
Preferred citation: Records of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, Mss. Gr. 234, University of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections.
Contact information: University Archives and Special Collections
15 Lippitt Road
Kingston, RI 02881-2011
Tel: 401-874-4632

email: archives@etal.uri.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION  
Acquisition: The collection was given to Special Collections by Scott Molloy in July of 2009. Molloy collected and compiled the sources while he researched the history of transportation in Rhode Island.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID  
Author: Finding aid prepared by Abigail Casavant.
Encoding: Finding aid encoded by Abigail Casavant 2013 May 30, updated by Mark Dionne on 2020 March 31
Descriptive rules: Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Inventory


Inventory

Series 1. Union Railroad
The Union Railroad was the first horsecar company in Rhode Island. Amasa and William Sprague merged several already operating horsecar systems into the Union Railroad in 1865. Eventually, technology replaced the horses, and the electric trolley was introduced in 1893. This series contains ordinances, petitions, photographs, and other original documents from the Union Railroad.

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 1 Annexation of "An Act Requiring the Providence Cable Tramway Company and the Union Railway Company to Make Additional Payments for the use of Certain Streets in the City of Providence
1893
Box 1, Folder 2 Appendix to the Report of the Committee on Railroads
1891
Box 1, Folder 3 Appendix to the Report of the Committee on Railroads
undated
Box 1, Folder 4 Argument of Nelson W. Aldrich, President of the Union Railroad Company, Before the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives in Petition of the City of Providence to AMEND THE Charter of the Union Railroad Company and Compel it to Grant Transfers
1896 Apr 27
Box 1, Folder 5 Horse Railroad Mutual Benefit Association
1887
Box 1, Folder 6 Invitation to Opening of Electric Road
1892
Box 1, Folder 7 Lease: Union Railroad Company to the Rhode Island Company (photocopy)
1902
Box 1, Folder 8 An Ordinance Permitting the Union Railroad Company to Lay Nails in Cetrain Struts
1882 Apr
Box 1, Folder 9 An Ordinance Permitting the Union Railroad Company to Lay Rails and to Erect Poles and Wires in Certain Streets
1895 Apr 19
Box 1, Folder 10 An Ordinance Permitting the Union Railroad Company to Lay Rails and to Erect Poles and Wires in Francis Street
1894 Sep 26
Box 1, Folder 11 An Ordinance Permitting the Providence Cable Tramway Company to use the Overhead Trolley Electric System in the Operation of its Cars
1894 Oct 19
Box 1, Folder 12 An Ordinance for the Regulation of Hacks, Omnibuses, Drays, Trucks, Reported by the Standing Committee on Police
1864 Aug 8
Box 1, Folder 13 An Ordinance in Relation to Railroads, Reported by the Standing Committee on Railroads
1864 Nov 28
Box 1, Folder 14 Petition Against Laying Rails on Canal Street
1866 Nov 26
Box 1, Folder 15 Petition for an Amendment of Charter (photocopy)
1882
Box 1, Folder 16 Petition of the League of American Wheelmen et al, to the City Council, to Compel the Union Railroad Company to place upon their cars, such appliances as will wholly prevent the dripping of oil or grease from said cars upon the pavements of the streets
1894 Jul 2
Box 1, Folder 17 Petition of the Union Railroad Company for a repeal of the special tax for use of struts
1871 Apr 15
Box 1, Folder 18 Photographs
1895
Box 1, Folder 19 Reports (photocopies)
1870, 1891
Box 1, Folder 20 Report of Committee on Railroads on the Petition of Union Railroad Company for Relief from Special Tax for use of Streets
1864 Aug 8
Box 1, Folder 21 Report of the Joint Committee on Railroads Relative to Car Fenders
1896
Box 1, Folder 22 Resolution Exonerating Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls Railroad Company from Payment
1868 Apr 15
Box 1, Folder 23 Taxes Under the Franchise to use City Streets
1892
Box 1, Folder 24 Union Railroad Company Appeal to General Assembly, Legislation to Upgrade all Lines to Electric Railways "Franchise Act"
1892
Box 1, Folder 25 Union Railroad Co. Electric Street Railway Double Track Proposal, Francis Street Providence
1894
Box 1, Folder 26 Union Railroad Company, Tickets, Timetable, and Stock Share
1868, 1884

Series 2. Rhode Island Company
The Union Railroad became the Rhode Island Company in 1902. By this time, all horsecars had been replaced with electric trolleys and the system was operating across many parts of Rhode Island. This series contains documents such as annual reports, repair s and updates correspondence, and photographs.

Container Description Date
Box 2, Folder 1 Agreement made Between the NY, New Haven, and Hartford Railway Company (New Haven Company) and the RI Company
1914 Oct 14
Box 2, Folder 2 Annual Report of the Rhode Island Company
1914
Box 2, Folder 3 Contract made June 24, 1902 Between the United Traction and Electric Company and the Rhode Island Company
1902 Jun 24
Box 2, Folder 4 "Critical Times for Rhode Island Trolley Lines" The Providence Sunday Journal
1920 Aug 29
Box 2, Folder 5 Glocester Trolley Day Programme
1914 Jul 25
Box 2, Folder 6 Rhode Island Company, News Clippings
1910
Box 2, Folder 7 Organization Plan for the Guidance of the Electric and Appointive Offices of the RI Company
1914
Box 2, Folder 8 Photographs
undated
Box 2, Folder 9 Repairs and Update Correspondence
1918-1921
Box 2, Folder 10 Rhode Island Company By-Laws 1914
1914
Box 2, Folder 11 Rhode Island Company Fare Chart, Time Slips, Freight Bills, Tickets
1902-1912

Series 3. United Electric Railways Company
The United Electric Railways Company lasted from 1921-1951. By this time, trolleys were operated by a single person who drove and collected fare, and passenger rates had declined. Buses began replacing trolleys by 1922 and by 1948 trolleys had disappeared from the streets of Rhode Island. This series contains news clippings, photographs, engineering and repairs correspondence, equipment documents, and a variety of reports.

Container Description Date
Box 3, Folder 1 Annual Report of United Electric Railway Company to The Public Utilities Commission of the State of Rhode Island
1929
Box 3, Folder 2 Buttonwoods Notes
1932 Sep 12
Box 3, Folder 3 Cancelled Trolley Tariffs
1949
Box 3, Folder 4 Durfee, William - Articles Re: History of URR and RI Company
1944
Box 3, Folder 5 Employee Lists, United Electric Railway
1947
Box 3, Folder 6 In the Matter of The Arbitration between UER Company and Providence Division # 618 of AASEREA
1925
Box 3, Folder 7 Jepson, Ben, 55 Year Employee of UER
1924-1933
Box 3, Folder 8 News Clippings, Wonson, Richard
1894-1927
Box 4, Folder 9 Notes and Excerpts, Wonson, Richard, Re: History
1940
Box 4, Folder 10 Notes Re: RI Company and United Electric Railways, Wonson, Richard
undated
Box 4, Folder 11 Operating Procedures, United Electric Railways Company
1935-1949
Box 4, Folder 12 Petition for the regulation of Jitneys and Motor Vehicles and Public Safety
undated
Box 4, Folder 13 Photographs
1939-1949
Box 4, Folder 14 "Providence: Last Run for UER Trolleys," Wonson, Richard
1948
Box 4, Folder 0 "Providence Modernized" H.G. Morris
1938 Nov 15
Box 4, Folder 15 "The Southern New Englander," Re: UER
1940
Box 4, Folder 16 Track Department
1933, 1946
Box 4, Folder 17 Track Relocation, Correspondence and Blueprints
1929
Box 4, Folder 18 United Electric Railways Assn. Fare and Traffic Study, Pawtucket RI
1932
Box 4, Folder 19 UER Appraisal
1930
Box 5, Folder 20 UER Articles
1929, 1944, 1948, 1949
Box 5, Folder 21 UER Bowling League Banquet
1923 Apr 19, 1947 Apr 17
Box 5, Folder 22 UER Comparison of Jobs on the Property and Company Summary
1937
Box 5, Folder 23 UER Employee Passes
1946-1951
Box 5, Folder 24 UER Engineering and Repairs Correspondence
1921 Aug 16-21
Box 5, Folder 25 UER Engineering and Repairs Correspondence
1922 Jan 20-Dec 9
Box 5, Folder 26 UER Engineering and Repairs Correspondence
1923 Jan 10-1927 Aug 1
Box 5, Folder 27 United Electric Railway Files, Richard L. Wonson
1933-1951
Box 5, Folder 28 UER, Motor Buses H.O.Wells
1929 Mar 7
Box 6, Folder 29 United Electric Railway News Clippings
1935, 1941-1949
Box 6, Folder 30 United Electric Railways Operation
1928
Box 6, Folder 31 UER Platform Men in Service
1922
Box 6, Folder 32 UER Property (history)
1891-1950
Box 6, Folder 33 UER Rails Equipment Wells Report
1929 Jun 12
Box 6, Folder 34 UER Rail Lines Revenue and Expenses and Miscellaneous Statistics
1932 Dec 31
Box 6, Folder 35 UER Rail Lines, Revenue and Expenses, and Miscellaneous Statistics
1933 Dec 31
Box 6, Folder 36 UER A Report and Recommendations in the Matter of Schedules , Morris and Thorsen
1936 Nov 20
Box 6, Folder 37 UER Report on Street Car Equipment, United Electric Railways H.O. Wells
1929 Jun 12
Box 6, Folder 38 United Electric Railways Reports
1937
Box 6, Folder 39 United Electric Railways Reports
1939
Box 6, Folder 40 UER Summary of 1933 Operations
1934 Feb 5
Box 6, Folder 41 UER Transfer Forms, Daily reports, Stock Certificates
undated
Box 7, Folder 42 United Electric Railways Company, Various Problems 1934-1938, Statistics and Progress 1930-1939
1930-1939
Box 7, Folder 43 Tickets and Passes
1935-1946
Box 7, Folder 44 Work Journal
1936-1941
Box 7, Folder 45 Working Lists and Schedules
1930-1950

Series 4. United Transit Company
The United Transit Company replaced the United Electric Railways Company in 1951. By this time, all trolleys had been replaced by buses. While these buses were considered "trackless trolleys" these too were soon replaced by electric buses. This series contains photographs, news clippings, and employee passes, many of which were collected by former employee Richard Wonson.

Container Description Date
Box 7, Folder 1 "The Diesel Coach: What you Should Know" United Transit Company
undated
Box 7, Folder 2 Photographs
undated
Box 7, Folder 3 Revised Transfer Form, United Transit Company Providence R.I. Globe Ticket Company
1959 Jul 24
Box 7, Folder 4 Riccio, Augustine to Wonson, Richard, Re: Rhode Island Company
1966
Box 7, Folder 5 Fare Studies, United Transit Company
1953, 1954, 1961-1962
Box 7, Folder 6 United Transit Company Tickets and Employee passes
1953-1956
Box 7, Folder 7 United Transit Company
1962
Box 8, Folder 8 United Transit Company News Clippings
1952-1959
Box 8, Folder 9 United Transit Company News Clippings
1960-1962
Box 8, Folder 10 United Transit Company News Clippings
1963-1968
Box 8, Folder 11 UTC Ratio of Fare and Transfer Instructions
1956, 1958
Box 9, Folder 12 Wonson, Richard, Strike Threat and Settlement Contract News Clippings
1958 Mar
Box 9, Folder 13 Wonson, Richard, U.T.C. 1964 Strike News Clippings
1964

Series 5. Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority was created in 1964 and began service in 1966. For the first time in the state's long history of transportation, the transportation system became publically owned. RIPTA still operates the public transportation system in Rhode Island. This series contains photographs, news clippings, and an assortment of other documents.

Container Description Date
Box 9, Folder 1 An Act Creating the Rhode Island Transportation Authority
1964 Jan 29
Box 9, Folder 2 Agreement Between Rhode Island Public Transit Authority and Providence Division No. 618 of the ATU
1976 Jan 1
Box 9, Folder 3 Employee Passes
1968-1978
Box 9, Folder 4 Flyers and Invitations
2000
Box 9, Folder 5 Intermodal Transit Passenger Waiting Facility, Kennedy Plaza
2000
Box 9, Folder 6 Newsclippings, Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
1967-1972
Box 9, Folder 7 Newsclippings, Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
1968-1970
Box 9, Folder 8 Operator and Fare Manuals
1975, 1981
Box 9, Folder 9 Photographs
undated
Box 9, Folder 10 "Report to the People," Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
1977
Box 9, Folder 11 RIPTA Index, Providence Journal and Evening Bulletin
1967-1971
Box 9, Folder 12 RIPTA Timeline
undated
Box 9, Folder 13 Tickets and Schedules, RIPTA
1976-1981
Box 9, Folder 14 Report on Financial Statements
1972 Jun 30

Series 6. Oversize and Ephemera
This series contains all oversize photos, newspapers, and posters from the RIPTA manuscript collection. It also contains some of the oversize images and news clippings from the Division 618 collection and Arthur Riani/Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen collection.

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder Album No. 1, United Electric Railways Scrapbook
undated
Box 1, Folder Album No. 2, United Electric Railways Scrapbook
undated
Box 1, Folder Album No.3, United Electric Railways Scrapbook
undated
Box 1, Folder United Electric Railways 8x10 Photo Scrapbook
undated
Box 1, Folder United Electric Railways Photo Scrapbook
undated
Box 1, Folder United Transit Company Photo Scrapbook
undated
Box 1, Folder Book of Rhode Island Transportation Tokens
1923-1971
Box 1, Folder Book of Rhode Island Trolley and Train Timetables
1886-1942
Box 1, Folder Book of Rhode Island Trolley Tickets
1892-1963
Box 1, Folder RIPTA Bus Signs
undated
Box 1, Folder V.H.S. United Transit Company Silent Film and Clips
undated
Box 2, Folder Oversize Photos and Posters
1910-1976
Box 3, Folder Bus Route Roll with City Names
undated
Box 4, Folder Bus Route Roll with City Names
undated
Box 5, Folder RIPTA Driver Badge
undated
Box 5, Folder RIPTA Instructor Badge
undated
Box 5, Folder RIPTA Instructor Badge
undated
Box 5, Folder RIPTA Operator Badge
undated
Box 5, Folder United Electric Railways Company Bus Lines Badge
undated
Box 5, Folder United Electric Railways Company Jimmy Quinn Badges
undated
Box 5, Folder United Electric Railways Inspector Badge
undated
Box 5, Folder United Electric Railways Starter Badge
undated
Box 5, Folder United Transit Company Badges, Phil O'Neil
1976
Box 6, Folder RIPTA Ticket Books
1890-1981
Box 7, Folder RIPTA Ticket Books
1890-1981
Box 8, Folder RIPTA Ticket Books
1890-1981