The Jamestown Street Railway Trolley Car 93 was purchased by the Jamestown Street Railway Co., as part of a bulk order of the then, new, electrified, cars numbered 91-98, which was ordered from St. Louis Car Co. trolley cars in 1926.

“The trolley cars serviced the Willard Street and North-Newland lines. Trolley Car No. 93 was one of cars that was ordered in the initial purchase as the horse-drawn streetcars (of the time) were phased out and the electric street cars were phased in service in 1926,” Johnson said.

In 1938 the Jamestown Street Railway Trolley Cars were pulled from service and retired. Six of the eight original trolley cars ordered, including 93, were sold to French Cabins. French Cabins was a well known vacation spot located east of Bemus Point. The trolleys sat at this location used as hunting and fishing campsites.

“In 1994 Sam Lucariello told me about the trolley,” said Johnson. ” It was his father’s hunting cabin since it was retired. Then in 1996 the Lucariello family sold me the trolley and we’ve been plugging away at it, and we’re getting closer to being done with the full restoration of the car. Hopefully we’ll be done restoring the car by 2026, just in time to celebrate the centennial birthday of the trolley.”

A newspaper ad dated 1844 advertising the wares and tools of Jamestown tool and knife maker, Pearl Johnson. Johnson set up shop in the city reportedly in 1826. Submitted photo

Johnson also pointed out another interesting and intersecting fun-historical fact, which was based in Jamestown close to 200 years ago.

“Even older than Trolley 93, is one of the areas originally maker of tools, Pearl Johnson,” he said. “Johnson made his home and factory occupying most of the south side of W Fourth Street between Main and Pine Streets, in the heart of 1826 Jamestown. We’re coming on the bicentennial of this purveyor of tools.”

According to the book by Arthur Wellington Anderson, published in 1932, entitled “Conquest of Chautauqua,” there is a great accounting of the activities surrounding Pearl Johnson.

“In Arthur Wellington Anderson’s book, it is speculated that Mr. Johnson may have gotten tired of hand stamping each letter of ‘P. Johnson’ on his products, and so in 1844 he decided P.J. would suffice. This may be supported by the fact that I have now found a broad ax marked ‘P. Johnson’,” said Bob Johnson.

However, finding other items with the sought-after markings has been somewhat harder to acquire, thus far.

Bob Johnston, founder of the Jamestown Street Railway Trolley Car No. 93 Restoration Project, has recently published two books. Submitted photo

“I can honestly claim to have already looked at a few hundred chopping knives for the P.J. marking, with no luck, but I have learned that the Fenton History Center has one in its collection,” said Bob Johnson.

For more information visit jamestowntrolley.org.