Union Traction Company of Indiana Map

A reproduction of a 1901 Map, depicting an aerial view of the Union Traction Company.  

The map is double-sided and depicts information about the Union Traction Company on the reverse side of the map.  Map comes rolled, but can be folded to 4" x 8 1/4".  When unfolded completely, it measures approx. 31 1/2" long x 8 1/4" high.  

The Indiana Railroad was created on July 2, 1930, when Midland Utilities purchased the Union Traction Company of Indiana (UTC) and transferred ownership to the IR. Union Traction (UTC) was the largest interurban system in Indiana with 410 miles (660 km) of interurban trackage and 44 miles (71 km) of streetcar lines in Anderson, Elwood, Marion and Muncie. UTC had been created in 1897 to operate an initial line between Anderson and Alexandria, and came under the control of the Schoepf-McGowan Syndicate in 1902. UTC purchased or leased several neighboring interurban lines in short order: the Elwood and Alexandria was bought in 1903, the Indiana Northern in 1905, and the Indiana Muncie Hartford and Fort Wayne was leased in 1906. In 1906, UTC also purchased all of the Dayton and Muncie's trackage in Indiana.

UTC absorbed the Indianapolis, New Castle, and Toledo in 1912 and extended its trackage from New Castle to Muncie, but it did not reach Toledo. Although it attempted a passenger revival with the purchase of new equipment, UTC went into decline in the 1920s along with the other Indiana interurban systems. In 1925, it entered receivership whereby it continued operating by delaying paying interest on its bonded debt. It survived this bankruptcy whole and passed intact into IR control in 1930.

Reproduced by the Indiana Historical Society Press.