Danbury and Bethel Street Railway Co. - $1,000 5% 30 Year Gold Railroad Bond with Coupons

$1,000 5% Bond was payable in U.S. Gold Coin. Uncanceled. Graphics by Security Bank Note Co. Many coupons. Excellent Condition. Rare!

The Danbury and Bethel Street Railway was a streetcar transit operator that served the greater Danbury, Connecticut area, having been originally chartered in 1886. It distinguished itself as one of the few trolley companies that maintained independence from the consolidation of transit lines by the Connecticut Company throughout the state. Electric trolley service commenced between Danbury and Bethel in 1887. The streetcar line was intended to connect with the Danbury and Harlem Traction Company at the Fairgrounds; however, no service was ever provided, and the line was ultimately abandoned by 1910. The railway encountered its initial financial challenges in 1914, as a decline in ridership followed the closure of local factories. Additionally, the construction of a proposed extension to Bridgeport had nearly depleted the railway's financial resources.

In 1918, J. Moss Ives acquired the company with the goal of restoring its profitability. The first buses were ordered and began operation in 1912, running between Main Street and Lake Avenue in Danbury. In 1925, Ives reorganized the company as the Danbury and Bethel Traction Company. When a proposal was made to replace all remaining streetcar lines with bus services, the trolley motormen initiated a strike in November 1926. Despite the work stoppage, the transition proceeded as planned, and by the end of 1926, all streetcar operations had ceased, marking it as the first line in Connecticut to fully convert to bus service.