Obscure Local History #2: Twin City Transit Fare Competition, c. 1851

[Saint Paul during the boom years of the 1850s.]

An excerpt from J. Fletcher Williams' 1876 History of Saint Paul, detailing the first fierce competition for transit between the Twin Cities.

In the summer of 1851, WILLOUGHBY & POWERS brought to saint Paul and put on their line the first Concord coach ever ran in Minnesota. It is still in use in the Minnesota Stage Company's stock somewhere. Up to the close of this season, they had no opposition in their business, but, during the fall of 1851, LYMAN L BENSON and a MR. PATTISON, came from Kalamazoo, Michigan, where they had been in the livery business, bringing a large outfit. In the spring of 1852, they put on an opposition line to Saint Anthony, called the "Yellow Line." WILLOUGHBY & POWERS' coaches were red, and it was generally termed the "red Line." A furious opposition sprang up.   

WILLOUGHBY & POWERS  who had hitherto charged seventy-five cents for fare, reduced their price to a quarter, and, finally, to ten cents, as did also the yellow line, and the latter soon put on an opposition coach to Stillwater also. The war between the red and yellow lines was one of the curious phases of that day. Perhaps some of our readers may remember, when they landed at the levee, how the wordy contest was raged between the rivals. Bishop WILLOUGHBY  says the other line had more money than he, but he "always beat them at sassing." 

This rivalry, with varying success, continued two seasons or more. In the meantime, WILLOUGHBY & POWERS had increased their rolling stock to eight Concord coaches, and had built up a large livery business besides, at their well-known old stand, corner of Fourth and Robert streets. In 1854, they made a compromise with PATTISON & BENSON, the latter buying off their Saint Anthony line. WILLOUGHBY & POWERS had also, in the meantime, opened, and still ran a line to Shakopee, &c, and also ran the Stillwater branch. 

For some context, a quarter in 1850 would be about $8-$10 today,