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Warwick, November 20, 1872, led to the appointment of many committees. Extensive tunneling would have been required, which doubtlessly contributed to the road not being built.
"Railroad Pever" was replaced by "Trolley Mania" and intricate suburban systems were proposed. Various plans included connecting Middletown to Bloomingburg, Port Jervis, and a route to Newburgh. On February 18, 1915, ground was broken in Monticello for the Monticello-Middletown Traction Co. According to this plan, a self-propelled rail car would leave Monticello, arrive at Middletown an hour later where riders would then take the Erie to New York City. In the evening, the car would return to Monticello.
THE TROLLEY
With the building of the Midland and other railroads here, it was no doubt seen as desirable to provide transportation between stations, hotels, amusements, and other businesses. Middletown business leaders inet December 10, 1870, to organize the Middletown Street & Horse Railroad. Passenger cars would be pulled over the rails by a team of horses. Jonathan M. Matthews was elected president of this company, Henry R. Low, vice-president, Edward M. Madden, treasurer, and C.H. Horton, secretary. Details are lacking, but for some reason, the line was not built. Periodically, the paper would editorialize about the need for a trolley, but taxi services transported people throughout the village.
In 1889, the Middletown Street Railroad Company was incorporated with W.B. Royce as President, D.R. Miller, vice-president; J.D. Rockafellow, treasurer; A.B. Wilbur, secretary and T.A. Read, counsel. Capital stock of the company was set at $50,000. A horse railway was planned, alt Royce noted "in time [we] may run the cars by electricity." The company intended to build a line running from the toli gate to Franklin Square. The toll gate stood about where the car wash is on upper North Street (17M) across from Beakes Avenue.
Eventually, other lines would be built. From the Square, a line would follow East Main Street, go up Grand Avenue, turn onto Prince Street, then up Wickham, continuing on West Main to Monhagen, and up Monhagen to the psychiatric center. A connecting line would be built from Franklin Square up West Main Street where it would connect with the line to the State Hospital. Another line would branch off at James Street, follow James Street across the Erie tracks to Union, up Franklin Street to Linden Avenue, turn down Courtland, cross North, proceed down Railroad Avenue, and across the street to the East Main Street railroad station.
On June 4, 1889, the Middletown Railroad Co. submitted their petition to the Common Council requesting permission to build and