Early public transportation in Danville, Virginia began in the 1880s with mule-driven cars. When a friend recently located an old bus from the Danville line, my memories of riding the buses and seeing the roller street name destinations were rekindled.
Note the street car tracks on the iron Main Street Bridge. This bridge was built in 1887 at about the same time that street car service began. This is the bridge which burned in 1927 and was replaced by the concrete bridge in 1928. Note at left across the river on the left is Mill No. 1 for Riverside Cotton Mills and at right the Morotock Cotton Mills. Both companies were organized in 1882 and began operation in 1883. Riverside mills bought out Morotock in 1890
Danville Traction and Power Company bus. The buses were always painted in Green and Cream colors. Buses just like this came by my house on Washington Street every half hour until late at night when I was a kid in the 1940s and 1950s. We were the about the last house house up the hill and sometimes the house would shake as the came near our house. There must have been a bump in the road.
Early public transportation in Danville, Virginia began in the 1880s with mule-driven cars. When a friend recently located an old bus from the Danville line, my memories of riding the buses and seeing the roller street name destinations were rekindled.
The building with the tracts leading inside is the Danville Street Car Company. (1890 map)
On Nov. 16, 2010, I talked with longtime bus driver Carroll Mays. He said that his uncle Brooks Dunn drove street cars in Danville. Above is the census taker's listing of Brook(s) age 28 and wife Rosa age 23 in 1930. On the far right is a notation that Brook was a "Motor Man" on a "Street Car." They lived on Stokes Street. Carroll said that in the year 1949 when he began as a driver with the Danville Traction and Power Co. the fare was seven cents. Four tokens could be purchased for 25 cents. Later in 1949, the far increased to 10 cents with four tokens costing 30 cents. Carroll told about one mill worker that was especially outraged by the large increase in fare. He grumbled all the way to the mill and said he would never ride the bus again. That afternoon he entered the bus, dropped in his far and never complained again. He probably reconsidered and thought that spending 10 cents was better than a walk across town. Carroll continued to drive the buses until 1975 when the city took over the operation.
The latest patent on the street name roller in the 1946 REO Bus is for 1945. This plate is inside the heavy metal box.Following are destination from the street roller this old 1946 REO Danville city bus. This heavy inclosed metal box weighs about 20 pounds. A large know on the back side allowed the driver to change the destination. This was displayed in the first window behind the front entrance of the bus.
The is the greasy street roller attached by ten rivets and hinged at the top of the bus window. The large knob at right rolled the canvas street names. There is glass so that the driver could see the street names in reverse.
Apparently this bus 1946 REO bus was taken off the street sin 1955. It was probably driven into the county while it was still operational
Ernie Jordan at the street name roller
Ernie Jordan has his hand on the street name roller before it was dismounted
The old bus was used for storage for over 50 years
At one time a wood stove was installed where the driver's seat was removed
The Danville bus line continued for many years under the name Danville Traction and Power Company. The “Car Barn” was located on South Main Street near Watson.
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