In 1887, the Wilmington Street Railway Company launched its nearly five-mile, horse-drawn system that was opened in 1888. That same year, the Wilmington Seacoast Railroad opened its steam-powered railroad for passengers and freight between Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, a distance of twelve miles.

The Street Railway Review Volume II of 1892 reported: "The Wilmington Street Railway Company has been re-organized and elected the following officers: E. L. Hawks, of New York, President; J. H. Barnard, Vice-President and General Manager; F. O'Connor, Secretary; and J. G. White, Treasurer. Authorized capital stock, $300,000. Paid up. $100,000. The motive power is now being changed from horses to electricity. Contracts have been given to the Lewis & Fowler Manufacturing Company, of Brooklyn, NY, for cars and rails; also to the Ball Engine Company, of Erie, Pa., for the steam plant complete. The track laying and construction to J. G. White & Company, of New York, who will act also as consulting engineers. The company have a number of cars and seven miles of track, including one and-a-half miles of steam track, connecting all railways that enter Wilmington. A Baldwin compound steam motor, of the latest pattern, has been purchased to be used in transferring cars and freight."

The Street Railway Journal of July 1892 reported: "For four years the Wilmington Street Railway Co. have had in operation in that city seven small horse cars over about four miles of track; and in December last this line was purchased by a syndicate, several of whom had been instrumental in the organization of the Asheville and other North Carolina roads. The track of the old horse car line had been laid with a thirty-two pound T rail laid upon cross ties, four feet apart."

The Street Railway Journal of December 1892 reported that the Wilmington Street Railway had 4-1/2 miles of track, its President was J.D. Bellamy, Jr., its Vice President was Charles M. Stedman, its Secretary & Treasurer was Frank H. Stedman, and its Superintendent was W.H. Howell.

With assistance from northern financiers, the Wilmington Street Railway converted from a horse-drawn system to an electric streetcar system in 1892. The legislature also authorized the company to supply electric power to the city, and the company was re-organized as the Wilmington Electric Street Railway Company. In ten (10) years the company had not built any new tracks, despite the fact that Wilmington, with a population of nearly 21,000, was the largest city in the state. The Wilmington Electric Street Railway Company, and the Ocean View Railroad to Wrightsville Beach, which suffered damage from a coastal storm the year before, were losing money. Both were acquired by other companies, which were ultimately merged in 1902.

The Street Railway Journal of March 1892 reported: "Work on the electrical equipment of the street railway is being pushed rapidly forward by the contractors, J. G. White & Co. of New York, and will probably be finished by April 1. The present rolling stock of the company consists of seven closed and four open cars, and the line is four miles in length, laid with thirty-three pound girder rail. One mile of forty-five pound Lewis & Fowler rail is being laid, and the overhead system is being constructed for the five miles of track. The company are also building one and one-half miles of freight track in which sixty pound rail is to be used, and a steam dummy. Six open and two closed electric motor cars have been ordered and the company will retain four of their present open cars as trailers."

The Street Railway Journal of July 1892 reported: "In rebuilding for electricity a mile of this track which lay on a paved street was taken up, and in its place there was substituted a forty-five pound Lewis & Fowler rail placed on ties two feet six inches between centres. Throughout the rest of the route the original rail was used, but the track was resurfaced and the number of cross ties was doubled... The electric car equipment consists of six eight-seat open cars and two sixteen foot closed cars, built by the Lewis & Fowler Manufacturing Co., of Brooklyn, and equipped with two horse power, S. R. G., Thomson-Houston motors. Four of the eleven horse cars purchased with the road are being overhauled and repainted for use as trailers."

In 1894, Johnston's Electrical & Street Railway Directory reported that the Wilmington Street Railway Company operated twelve (12) cars and eight (8) T.H. (?) on 4.52 miles of track. Company officers named were: Charles A. Lieb as President; John H. Barnard as Vice President, General Manager, and Purchasing Agent; M.F. Heiskell as Superintendent.

Lewis & Fowler Streetcar (not Wilmington)

In 1902, the American Street Railway Investments magazine included the following information about the Wilmington Street Railway Company: The company was chartered in March of 1887 for fifty (50) years and the road opened on July 17, 1888. The company operated 4.5 miles of track by electricity and 1.5 miles of track by steam. They owned eleven (11) motor cars and two (2) trail cars. The motors were Ball Engines and the cars were built by Lewis & Fowler and Jackson & Sharp. Company officers named were: Hugh MacRae as President; C.P. Bolles as Secretary & Treasurer; A.B. Skelding as General Manager; and W.W. Randolph as Cons. Engineer. This report included the year ending December 31, 1901.

Jackson & Sharp Streetcar (not Wilmington)

On June 14, 1902, the Wilmington Morning Star newspaper reported: "By the middle of next week all the open cars of the Wilmington Street Railway Company will have been completely overhauled and made good as new for the big Summer travel that is expected."

In 1902, Hugh MacRae of Wilmington formed the Consolidated Railways, Light & Power Company, and purchased the city’s street railways, light, and power facilities. He had recently established a company to generate electricity near Rockingham on the Pee Dee River. MacRae greatly improved the city's streetcar system in five short years.

Also in 1902, MacRae converted the Wilmington Seacoast Railroad into an electric system and consolidated the county's two rail systems. Instead of starting their trips at a station at Ninth and Orange Streets, a mile from downtown, beach passengers began boarding downtown. The city's lines were extended to accommodate growth of suburbs on the city's northern edge. Equally significant was the opportunity for streetcars to encourage new neighborhoods along the route to Wrightsville Beach. Whereas the steam train most likely had no stops, the upgraded electric streetcar eventually served a total of twenty (20) stations between downtown and the beach.

On June 14, 1902, the Wilmington Morning Star newspaper reported: "Six sets of new flexible trucks have been received by the Consolidated Railways, Light and Power Co., and these will be put in as soon as possible. New electric headlights have also arrived and will be put on the cars, all of which have been nicely repainted. The new equipment will add much to convenience and comfort of travel."

Consolidated Railways, Light & Power Company - Wilmington to Wrightsville Beach c.1907

In 1905, MacRae opened Lumina, a pavilion located on the ocean at the last southern trolley stop at Wrightsville Beach. Automobiles were not allowed on Wrightsville Beach until the mid-1930s.

The 4th Annual Report of the North Carolina Corporation Commission, dated December 31, 1902, reported that the Consolidated Railways, Light & Power Company operated six (6) box passenger cars equipped for electric power and thirteen (13) open passenger cars equipped for electric power on 4.95 miles of track within the city limits of Wilmington and 10.9 miles of track outside of the city limits. 1,034,904 passengers were carried during the year that ended on June 30, 1902. Company officers named were: Hugh MacRae as President; H. Woollcott as Secretary; R.J. Jones as Treasurer; and, A.B. Skelding as General Manager.

The 9th Annual Report of the North Carolina Corporation Commission, dated December 31, 1907, reported that the Consoldiated Railways, Light & Power Company operated seven (7) box passenger cars equipped for electric power, fourteen (14) open passenger cars equipped for electric power, two (2) other passenger cars equipped for electric power, and three (3) snow plows on 6.71 miles of track within the city limits of Wilmington and 12.27 miles of track outside of the city limits. 2,222,531 passengers were carried during the year ending June 30, 1907. Company officers had not changed since 1902.

Tidewater Power Company Route Map

On October 17, 1907, Hugh MacRae strengthened his holdings by forming the Tidewater Power Company, and retaining ownership of the Wilmington streetcar system under this new name.

When the Carolina Shipyard opened in 1918 to build ships for World War I, the streetcar lines were extended to the plant. By 1925, Wilmington's streetcar system included thirty-three miles of tracks, nine of them double tracks - this info comes from the 23rd Report of the North Carolina Corporation Commission for the Biennial Period of 1925-1926.

The 10th Annual Report of the North Carolina Corporation Commission, dated December 31, 1908, reported that Tidewater Power Company operated nineteen (19) box passenger cars equipped for electric power, six (6) open passenger cars equipped for electric power, and three (3) trailers on 7.42 miles of track withing the city limits of Wilmington and 10.94 miles of track outside of the city limits. Fifty (50) employees served 2,387,209 passengers for year ending July 30, 1908. Company officers named were: Hugh MacRae as President; H. Woollcott as Secretary; R.J. Jones as Treasurer; and, A.B. Skelding as General Manager & Superintendent.

The Electric Railway Journal of April 21, 1917 reported: "William J. Norton of Norton, Bird & Whitman, Engineers, Chicago, Ill., and Baltimore, Md., during the week ended April 14 concluded the transfer of the utility property of the Tidewater Power Company, Wilmington, NC, from Hugh McRae, the president of the company, who owned a controlling interest in the stock, to Brooks & Company, Scranton, Pa.... Brooks & Company have been closely identified with the United Service Company, Scranton. Pa., which operates utilities in Ohio and Indiana, and also with the Keystone Utilities Company, which operates in Pennsylvania. L. H.
Conklin, the general manager of these associated companies, assumed control of the Tidewater Power Company."

The Electric Railway Journal of May 26, 1917 reported: "Hugh MacRae, president of the Tidewater Power Company, has written to the Electric Railway Journal relative to the proposed sale of the property of the company to Brooks & Company, Scranton, Pa., to the effect that for reasons mutually satisfactory the transaction was not consummated."

Tidewater Power Company Streetcar - 1918

The Electric Railway Journal of May 18, 1918 reported: "Tidewater Power Company, Wilmington, NC—Construction has been begun by the Tidewater Power Company on an extension about 1 mile long to the new shipyard plant."

The Electric Railway Journal of November 8, 1919 reported: "Tidewater Power Company, Wilmington, NC, is in the market for four 50-ft. interurban cars to be equipped with two motors each and multiple unit control. Delivery is required in the spring."

The Electric Railway Journal of April 29, 1922 reported: "A. E. Fitkin & Company, New York, NY, have acquired control of the Tide Water Power Company, Wilmington, NC, a city of 35,000 population, it was announced on April 27. The properties taken over in the deal include an electric light and power plant, a gas plant and electric railway systems serving the North Carolina city and interurban territory. The interurban line runs 12 miles to Wrightsville Beach on the ocean, where the company has an amusement pier, a casino and a large auditorium for convention purposes."

The Twenty-Second Report of the North Carolina Corporation Commission for the Biennial Period, 1923-1924, reported: "Incorporated February 26, 1907, under general laws of North Carolina. The principal office is at 217 Princess Street, Wilmington, North Carolina. Officers: A. E. Fitkin, President, 165 Broadway, New York, NY; T. B. Willard, Secretary and Treasurer, Wilmington, NC, and Raymond Hunt, Manager, Wilmington, NC. Electricity is furnished for lighting purposes to the following cities and towns: Wilmington, Rocky Point, Magnolia, Kenansville, Warsaw, Faison, Calypso, and Wrightsville Beach. Electricity is furnished at wholesale to the following towns: Burgaw, Wallace, Rose Hill, and Mount Olive. Respondent operates gas properties in Wilmington with a high-pressure line to Wrightsville Beach. Street railway properties are operated by respondent in Wilmington, NC."

Graham Brothers 14-Passenger Bus of 1925
(not Wilmington)

The Electric Railway Journal of October 25, 1924 reported: "Under traffic arrangements with the Tidewater Power Company a new type of transportation service operated by the Coast City Transportation Company will be inaugurated in Wilmington, NC. Free transfers will be issued from the Coast City Transportation Company's buses to the street cars and exchange tickets will be issued from the street cars to the buses on payment of 3 cents extra. The buses have a seating capacity of 16 passengers. The chassis is built by Graham Brothers, with a Dodge engine and bodies by the Straton Bliss Company. It will require two buses to maintain a 20-minute schedule. The third bus will be kept in reserve, and also will be operated during periods of heavy traffic. One of the noteworthy facts concerning the line is that it will go out of its regular path morning and evening for two or three trips in order to take care of the high school children."

The Electric Railway Journal of January 17, 1925 reported: "The Tide Water Power Company, Wilmington, NC, has applied to the State Corporation Commission at Raleigh for Permission to increase city fares from 7 cents to 7-1/2 cents, using tickets or tokens. The petition also asks for an 8-cent cash fare and a 10-cent local fare to Wrightsville Beach. In spite of every economy in operation, the Tide Water Power Company declares the inroads made by automobiles upon revenues necessitate a higher fare."

The Electric Railway Journal of February 19, 1927 reported: "Tidewater Power Company, Wilmington, NC, owned by the Fitkin interests, will reconstruct its line between Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, at a cost of approximately $50,000. The project will include the relaying of 32,000 ft. of new and heavier rail. Charles Brooks, general manager railways for the company, has charge of the work, which is scheduled to begin about March 1. Wrightsville Beach is North Carolina's leading ocean resort and the new line will double the service capacity."

The Electric Railway Journal of February 9, 1929 reported: "For the second time in two years the Tide Water Power Company of Wilmington, NC, has won the Brady Safety Award for companies operating less than 1,000,000 vehicle-miles. In its last Brady brief, the company points out that greater interest has been taken in good service and safety by both the company's employees and the public in Wilmington since the company's receipt of the Brady medal for its 1926 operations." [there are seven more paragraphs in this ERJ article.]

On April 18, 1939, W. R. Savage, who had operated the first electric streetcar in the city of Wilmington, also piloted the city's last one, closing the state's era of traditional, electric streetcar companies.