Historical Tidbit : The Trolley Connecting Our Towns

 

 

 

The first electric trolley line in Brockton was the East Side Street Railway, which opened in November 1888, with great success. 

In 1896, a line ran from Brockton to West Bridgewater, Bridgewater and Taunton.  The following year, the line ran to East Bridgewater.
On July 4, 1897, amid a blaring band, cheering crowds and speeches from the company and town officials, the first electric trolley rumbled down Pleasant St, East Bridgewater. 

The route began in the Montello section in Brockton and followed Montello St, to Plain St into West Bridgewater down Belmont St into East Bridgewater center.  Passengers who were continuing on would then have to disembark and wait for a trolley to Bridgewater center. 

 

For a time, one could travel almost anywhere in the area, even to Nantasket Beach! Many families journeyed to Island Grove in Abington or Mayflower Grove in Pembroke.  In summer, the open sided cars were used for the comfort of the passengers.  

In 1923, the William H Luddy bus company began to run buses from Bridgewater, East Bridgewater & Whitman thus signalling the end for an already troubled trolley line, which ceased to operate altogether by September 25, 1929.

 Information from the East Bridgewater Sesquicentennial Commemorative Booklet