True Republican, 23 October 1918
Bruce Paine, for a number of years a well known enterprising citizen of Sycamore, veteran of the Civil war, half brother of the late Harmon Paine and who leaves a number of relatives surviving here, died at Elgin on Sunday morning. A private funeral service was held at the home in Elgin at 10:30 o'clock this Tuesday morning and the remains arrived by automobile in Sycamore at 2 o'clock p.m. and were interred with brief services in the family lot in Elmwood cemetery.
The Elgin Courier says:
"Bruce Chester Paine, builder of Elgin's first street railway, died at Sherman hospital at 11 o'clock Sunday morning following an illness of several weeks.
Nearly half a century ago he braved ridicule to begin what in time grew to be Elgin's street car system.
June 20, 1876, the city council passed an ordinance granting him a fifty-year franchise to construct a single track for a railway on many of the principal streets of Elgin on the provision that his tracks be twelve feet from the sidewalk.
He erected a line from the watch factory up Grove avenue and then up Douglas avenue to Summitt street. Later he placed a track from Douglas avenue over North street to Dundee avenue and up Dundee avenue to Enterprise street. He ran his cars by horses. Many old time residents today recalled numerous anecdotes in regard to the primitive line.
In 1888 he sold his franchise and line for a song to a local syndicate, which electrified and enlarged the system considerably. They in turn sold the line to the Aurora, Elgin & Chicago Railroad company, which holds its franchise on many streets through the old Bruce C. Paine franchise.
He was born April 18, 1834, at Mohawk, Herkimer county, N.Y. He was the youngest of seven sons of Chester Paine and Eliza Whycoff Paine. He came west to Sycamore in 1855, and to Elgin in 1867. He served in the Civil war with 14th Illinois Cavalry as quartermaster. June 28, 1866, he was married to Nealie Baker, daughter of Lawrence M. and Sarah Thompson Baker, early settlers of Plato.
In Elgin Mr. Paine conducted a livery stable. For many years he was interested in the promotion of interurban lines which did not materialize, one a line, from DeKalb to Elgin and the other a trolley line from Elgin to Chicago via Villa street.
Besides his widow he is survived by two grand nephews and a grand niece."
Bruce Paine, for a number of years a well known enterprising citizen of Sycamore, veteran of the Civil war, half brother of the late Harmon Paine and who leaves a number of relatives surviving here, died at Elgin on Sunday morning. A private funeral service was held at the home in Elgin at 10:30 o'clock this Tuesday morning and the remains arrived by automobile in Sycamore at 2 o'clock p.m. and were interred with brief services in the family lot in Elmwood cemetery.
The Elgin Courier says:
"Bruce Chester Paine, builder of Elgin's first street railway, died at Sherman hospital at 11 o'clock Sunday morning following an illness of several weeks.
Nearly half a century ago he braved ridicule to begin what in time grew to be Elgin's street car system.
June 20, 1876, the city council passed an ordinance granting him a fifty-year franchise to construct a single track for a railway on many of the principal streets of Elgin on the provision that his tracks be twelve feet from the sidewalk.
He erected a line from the watch factory up Grove avenue and then up Douglas avenue to Summitt street. Later he placed a track from Douglas avenue over North street to Dundee avenue and up Dundee avenue to Enterprise street. He ran his cars by horses. Many old time residents today recalled numerous anecdotes in regard to the primitive line.
In 1888 he sold his franchise and line for a song to a local syndicate, which electrified and enlarged the system considerably. They in turn sold the line to the Aurora, Elgin & Chicago Railroad company, which holds its franchise on many streets through the old Bruce C. Paine franchise.
He was born April 18, 1834, at Mohawk, Herkimer county, N.Y. He was the youngest of seven sons of Chester Paine and Eliza Whycoff Paine. He came west to Sycamore in 1855, and to Elgin in 1867. He served in the Civil war with 14th Illinois Cavalry as quartermaster. June 28, 1866, he was married to Nealie Baker, daughter of Lawrence M. and Sarah Thompson Baker, early settlers of Plato.
In Elgin Mr. Paine conducted a livery stable. For many years he was interested in the promotion of interurban lines which did not materialize, one a line, from DeKalb to Elgin and the other a trolley line from Elgin to Chicago via Villa street.
Besides his widow he is survived by two grand nephews and a grand niece."
True Republican, 23 October 1918
Bruce Paine, for a number of years a well known enterprising citizen of Sycamore, veteran of the Civil war, half brother of the late Harmon Paine and who leaves a number of relatives surviving here, died at Elgin on Sunday morning. A private funeral service was held at the home in Elgin at 10:30 o'clock this Tuesday morning and the remains arrived by automobile in Sycamore at 2 o'clock p.m. and were interred with brief services in the family lot in Elmwood cemetery.
The Elgin Courier says:
"Bruce Chester Paine, builder of Elgin's first street railway, died at Sherman hospital at 11 o'clock Sunday morning following an illness of several weeks.
Nearly half a century ago he braved ridicule to begin what in time grew to be Elgin's street car system.
June 20, 1876, the city council passed an ordinance granting him a fifty-year franchise to construct a single track for a railway on many of the principal streets of Elgin on the provision that his tracks be twelve feet from the sidewalk.
He erected a line from the watch factory up Grove avenue and then up Douglas avenue to Summitt street. Later he placed a track from Douglas avenue over North street to Dundee avenue and up Dundee avenue to Enterprise street. He ran his cars by horses. Many old time residents today recalled numerous anecdotes in regard to the primitive line.
In 1888 he sold his franchise and line for a song to a local syndicate, which electrified and enlarged the system considerably. They in turn sold the line to the Aurora, Elgin & Chicago Railroad company, which holds its franchise on many streets through the old Bruce C. Paine franchise.
He was born April 18, 1834, at Mohawk, Herkimer county, N.Y. He was the youngest of seven sons of Chester Paine and Eliza Whycoff Paine. He came west to Sycamore in 1855, and to Elgin in 1867. He served in the Civil war with 14th Illinois Cavalry as quartermaster. June 28, 1866, he was married to Nealie Baker, daughter of Lawrence M. and Sarah Thompson Baker, early settlers of Plato.
In Elgin Mr. Paine conducted a livery stable. For many years he was interested in the promotion of interurban lines which did not materialize, one a line, from DeKalb to Elgin and the other a trolley line from Elgin to Chicago via Villa street.
Besides his widow he is survived by two grand nephews and a grand niece."
Bruce Paine, for a number of years a well known enterprising citizen of Sycamore, veteran of the Civil war, half brother of the late Harmon Paine and who leaves a number of relatives surviving here, died at Elgin on Sunday morning. A private funeral service was held at the home in Elgin at 10:30 o'clock this Tuesday morning and the remains arrived by automobile in Sycamore at 2 o'clock p.m. and were interred with brief services in the family lot in Elmwood cemetery.
The Elgin Courier says:
"Bruce Chester Paine, builder of Elgin's first street railway, died at Sherman hospital at 11 o'clock Sunday morning following an illness of several weeks.
Nearly half a century ago he braved ridicule to begin what in time grew to be Elgin's street car system.
June 20, 1876, the city council passed an ordinance granting him a fifty-year franchise to construct a single track for a railway on many of the principal streets of Elgin on the provision that his tracks be twelve feet from the sidewalk.
He erected a line from the watch factory up Grove avenue and then up Douglas avenue to Summitt street. Later he placed a track from Douglas avenue over North street to Dundee avenue and up Dundee avenue to Enterprise street. He ran his cars by horses. Many old time residents today recalled numerous anecdotes in regard to the primitive line.
In 1888 he sold his franchise and line for a song to a local syndicate, which electrified and enlarged the system considerably. They in turn sold the line to the Aurora, Elgin & Chicago Railroad company, which holds its franchise on many streets through the old Bruce C. Paine franchise.
He was born April 18, 1834, at Mohawk, Herkimer county, N.Y. He was the youngest of seven sons of Chester Paine and Eliza Whycoff Paine. He came west to Sycamore in 1855, and to Elgin in 1867. He served in the Civil war with 14th Illinois Cavalry as quartermaster. June 28, 1866, he was married to Nealie Baker, daughter of Lawrence M. and Sarah Thompson Baker, early settlers of Plato.
In Elgin Mr. Paine conducted a livery stable. For many years he was interested in the promotion of interurban lines which did not materialize, one a line, from DeKalb to Elgin and the other a trolley line from Elgin to Chicago via Villa street.
Besides his widow he is survived by two grand nephews and a grand niece."
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