This documentary describes the history of the Nevada County Traction Company trolley line that ran between Nevada City and Grass Valley, California from 1901 to 1924. The narrative follows the trolley's route, highlighting key landmarks and obstacles encountered along the way, such as the need to reinforce the plaza bridge in Nevada City due to weight concerns. The trolley faced challenges, including limited power within Nevada City limits and steep grades that sometimes required passengers to disembark and push. The route passed through areas that have since been transformed by the construction of freeways, with former stops and depots replaced by modern businesses and infrastructure. The trolley's decline was attributed to harsh winter weather and the growing popularity of automobiles, leading to its eventual closure in 1924. Remnants of the trolley line, like the car barn in Grass Valley, can still be found, serving as reminders of this bygone era of transportation in Nevada County.

Full Transcript of the Video:

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] Our journey will begin in Nevada City on Broad Street in front of what we now call Java City.

A motorman pulls the power switch with a pole to reverse the trolley's direction for the trip to Grass Valley.

The trustees in Nevada City were afraid of the overhead power line and thus passed an ordinance lowering the power to the trolley line within the city limits for public safety.

This would later prove to create a larger problem for the trolley.

At the intersection of Pine and Broad Streets, the rail swung to the center of the street as it passed down Broad Street approaching the National Hotel.

The National Hotel is the oldest hotel in California still in operation today.

The trolley continues on down to the plaza and across the plaza bridge.

The trolley line was set to cross the plaza bridge, but the strength of the bridge became a safety issue with the city trustees.

They were concerned that the bridge crossing could not withstand the enormous weight of the trolley.

The trolley company complied with the trustees' request to beef up the supports for the plaza bridge, and shortly afterwards the plaza bridge was safely crossed and the line was off and running.

During the construction of the Golden Center Freeway, the plaza bridge and numerous homes were removed to extend the freeway through the heart of Nevada City.

Today this area is spanned by the Broad Street Freeway overcrossing.

The trolley swings right onto the old Grass Valley turnpike, now renamed Sacramento Street.

The trolley begins its climb up the grade of the old highway.

Its lack of adequate electric power becomes evident as the trolley slows down on the hill.

As the trolley travels up the hill, it passes what we now refer to as the old Nevada City Brewery and the Celio Barn on the left and the Creekside Cafe on the right.

As the trolley reaches the top of the hill and off to the left we pass Railroad Avenue, where the Nevada County Narrow Gage Railroad Depot once stood.

A Chevron gas station and a small business complex now occupy the site.

The trolley picks up speed as it starts down through the ravine and begins to climb back out to the other side, presently named Searles Avenue.

The Golden Center Freeway now passes through that same ravine once used by the trolley car.

Here we are turning onto Lower Grass Valley Highway and now we are passing what is now the Nevada City Auto Parts Store.

We continue on up the grade and now pass the Gold Flat Bridge.

A short distance up the hill on the left is where Robinson Timber Company is located today.

This is a traditional industry that dates back to the beginnings of Nevada County history during the Gold Rush era.

Robinson Timber continues today and remains one of the largest employers in Nevada County.

The trolley continued on up a steep grade, passing over the Narrow Gage Railroad Tunnel at Town Tock.

Passengers from Nevada City going to Grass Valley found it necessary at times to get out and push the trolley up to the summit and across the Town Tock Tunnel of the Narrow Gage Railroad.

Today the tunnel is gone and was replaced by the Banner Lava Cap Freeway overpass.

As we continue our journey, we travel down from Town Tock toward Glenbrook, crossing back over the old highway onto Durborough Road and into a pasture.

This is where the trolley car barn was built and where there was room to house all the trolley cars.

This area is today behind what is now occupied by the modern BNC hardware and the Fowler Center.

As the trolley continues, it winds its way down the grade and connects with what is known as Olympia Park Drive today.

Olympia Park Drive meets up with the old Grass Valley Turnpike where a stop is made to pick up drop-off passengers going to and from Lake Olympia and the original Nevada County Fairgrounds.

The first all-electricly lit fairgrounds in California.

The trolley is again on the move uphill on the old highway toward the area where Humpty Dumpty Restaurant is today.

As we continue, we now come over the crest of the hill where Arch's Automotive Repair is located.

Just a short distance down the hill is where the trolley history began when the then Mayor Charles Clinch of Grass Valley gave a dedication speech while County Supervisor Fred Miller drove the first pick to start constructing at 2.

45 p.

m.

June 5, 1901 near the Knowles Ranch.

This is where the Nevada Country Club and Golf Force is today.

We're now going downhill past the Golf Force on East Main Street and past Fuse Road.

As we reach the bottom of the hill, the Motorman prepares to slow for a right turn at Hills Flat and is now headed for downtown Grass Valley.

Off on our left is Hills Flat Lumber Company and Reebies Auto Supply.

Grass Valley City was making road repairs and widening East Main Street between Murphy and Eureka Streets.

Note how the trolley had to slow down due to relocated tracks through the construction area.

On our right we see the present day Maria's Mexican Restaurant and on our left, a short distance away is the U.

S.

Post Office at Bennett and East Main Street.

Moving further down toward downtown Grass Valley on East Main Street, we pass the present day City Hall and then transition to West Main Street.

On the right is Foothill Flowers, which was then the Watson Hauser Drugstore, the oldest still standing building in Grass Valley.

We now turn off West Main Street onto Mill Street and off to the right we pass Bites Jewelers, possibly the oldest continually operating jewelers in Grass Valley.

The trolley is traveling down Mill Street and soon stops to pick up kids going to Olympia Park for a picnic and swim.

Children enjoyed getting aboard here so that they could ride the trolley a longer distance before coming back to Olympia Park and Lake Olympia in the fairgrounds.

Now we are passing the Del Oro Theater.

A short distance ahead and across the Mill Street intersection is the Grass Valley Library and the original home site of Josiah Royce, world famous writer and philosopher.

From here you can see the current Chamber of Commerce building and the original Lola Montez home.

From here we begin a steep and rapid downslope part of the ride past the Taylor Foundry.

The Mill Street apartment now occupy the same spot.

We are now starting to slow the trolley for its last leg of our journey and begin to break for the final stop at the end of the line in what is known as Boston Ravine.

Today the Swiss House Restaurant located in the old Empire Hotel marks the spot.

On January 3, 1924 the trolley made its final trip, was bogged down by a snowstorm and the decision was made to never run it again.

There were two fundamental causes for the shutdown of the Nevada County traction company that had served Nevada City and Grass Valley for nearly a quarter century.

The winter snows made it most difficult and impractical and unreliable as a means of dependable transportation.

And the automobile had begun its rise in popularity giving greater freedom to the traveling public.

The North Star Mine bought the powerful electric motors for use at the mine to haul ore and waste to the tailings piles.

The power lines and rails were removed and sold for scrap, possibly to a dealer in Stockton.

Three of the four cars were taken back to the barn and burned and the last one was sent to the China Garden in Glenbrook.

Several years later it ended its career as a waiting room for school children.

This ended a very colorful era for the Nevada City and Grass Valley area and is yet another page in the history of Nevada County.

For the Grass Valley Video History Museum, I'm Charlie Jacob.

Thanks for riding along.

[Music] [MUSIC]