Historic Pelham Blog Archive
December 19, 2007

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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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posted by Blake A. Bell @ 5:00 AM Comment

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