Battle Royal in Pelham Manor to Stop the Westchester Lighting Trust from Erecting Electric Light Poles in 1902

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Wealthy residents of Pelham Manor nearly came to physical blows with workers from the Westchester Lighting Trust on April 3, 1902. The Trust had permits from New York City to erect electric light poles along today's Shore Road. When it tried to erect such poles along the roadway between the Pelham Bay Park boundary line and New Rochelle through a portion of Pelham Manor, however, local residents created a "lively scene". The article below, from the April 4, 1902 issue of the New-York Tribune, provides an interest account of the incident.

"WIN FIGHT AGAINST TRUST.

MRS. ANNIE J. ROOSEVELT HAS HER COACHMAN JUMP INTO A HOLE DUG BY LINEMEN.

Wealthy residents of Pelham Manor yesterday prevented by strenuous measures the New-York and Westchester Lighting Trust from erecting electric light poles in front of their homes. Despite the fact that the company had failed to get permits from the property owners, it tried to erect poles along Pelham Road from the Pelham Bay Park boundary line to New-Rochelle. When its men reached the property of Mrs. Annie J. Roosevelt there was a lively scene. Her coachman was ordered to jump into the post hole and prevent the pole from being erected. The linemen said they had a permit from the New-York authorities to erect the poles wherever they wished. 'This is not New-York,' replied Mrs. Roosevelt, 'and you shall not erect the poles, except where I tell you. If you do I shall stop you.'

Mrs. Roosevelt, who is prominent in Pelham Manor society, called her coachman, and when the employes dug a hole he jumped in it. Finally they started to dig directly in front of Mrs. Roosevelt's house. She telephoned to the Pelham Manor Railroad Commissioner and had the work stopped and the holes refilled.

A large gang of linemen then proceeded to work in front of the place of Frederick H. Allen and the Pelham priory. Mrs. Allen sent her employees to fill up the holes as fast as they were dug and telephoned to her husband, who was in New-York. He asked Village President [William B.] Randall to have the desecration of the church property stopped. Constables were sent to the scene, and the trust employes, after a skirmish, surrendered. Mr. Allen said the vice-president of the company called to see him last night and agreed to erect the poles where the property holders desired."

Source: Win Fight Against Trust, New-York Tribune, Apr. 4, 1902, p. 5, col. 4.

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The Pelham Electric Light and Power Company and its Incorporation Into the Westchester Lighting Company

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Pelham's power needs once were met by a company known as "The Pelham Electric Light and Power Company". Below is a brief summary of the early history of The Pelham Electric Light and Power Company until it was absorbed into and became a part of the Westchester Lighting Company. A citation to the source follows the quoted material.

"X. Corporate History of the Westchester Lighting Company.

The Eastchester Electric Company was incorporated July 3, 1889, under the General Manufacturing Corporations Law of 1848. This company was merged December 1, 1900, into the Westchester Lighting Company. The Pelham Bay Park Electric Light, Power and Storage Company was incorporated July 23, 1890, under the General Manufacturing Corporations Law of 1848. This company seems to have got [sic] into financial trouble within a year or two after its incorporation, and its property was sold at sheriff's sale, in March, 1892, to one Herman Vogel. A copy of the original bill of sale was produced by counsel for the Westchester Lighting Company. This sale did not include [Page 66 / Page 67] the company's franchise. However, on January 16, 1897, Vogel transferred the property, alleging that it included the franchise, to one Charles W. Smith, who in turn, on January 9, 1900, sold it to the Pelham Electric Light and Power Company, which on Decmeber 1, 1900, was merged into the Westchester Lighting Company. It appears from the testimony, however, that all of the capital stock of the Pelham Bay Park Electric Light, Power and Storage Company was acquired by the Pelham Electric Light and Power Company on or about January 16, 1897, and is now held by the Westchester Lighting Company, so that title to the old franchise could be acquired by the present operating company by the process of merger.

The Pelham Electric Light and Power Company was incorporated January 25, 1897, under the Transportation Corporations Law, and was merged into the Westchester Lighting Company December 1, 1900. The Westchester Lighting Company itself was incorporated November 5, 1900, under the Transportation Corporations Law. This company absorbed by merger on December 1, 1900, in addition to the Pelham Electric Light and Power Company and the Eastchester Electric Company, nine other gas and electric companies operating entirely in Westchester County, and on December 1, 1902, it absorbed two additional Westchester companies. Several of the companies merged into the Westchester Lighting Company were themselves the product of preceding mergers and consolidations, so that the Westchester Lighting Company today counts no less than 30 predecessor companies in its family tree. This does not include the Pelham Bay Park Electric Light, Power and Storage Company, which is controlled through stock ownership but which has not yet been merged. Neither does it include the New York and Westchester Lighting Company, which was incorporated July 11, 1904, to furnish the means by which the control of the Westchester Lighting Company could be transferred from the United Gas Improvement Company of Philadelphia to the consolidated Gas Company of New York. After performing its function incident to this change of ownership, the New York and Westchester Lighting Company was merged into the Westchester Lighting Company, October 20, 1904. . . . "

Source: Maltbie, Milo R., Franchises of Electrical Corporations in Greater New York: A Report Submitted to the Public Service Commission for the First District, pp. 66-67 (NY, NY: Public Service Commission for the First District, 1911) (Reprint of Appendix A of the Annual Report of the Public Service Commission for the First District, State of New York, to the Legislature for the Year Ending December 31, 1910).

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