Philadelphia Timeline, 1859

1859

• January 4. Fire, factory, Lawrence Street above Brown. Loss, $35,000. Steam fire engines in efficient operation.
• March 3. Great fire, Second Street below Dock. Seventeen families burned out.
• March 14. Girard College Railroad goes into operation . (Ridge Avenue line).
• March 24. Chestnut and Walnut Street Railway, act of legislature, approved by council and bill signed by mayor. Company agreed to pay $100,000 towards bridge over the Schuylkill.
• March 27. Holy Trinity Church, Nineteenth and Walnut Streets, opened.
• April 19. new Western Market, Sixteenth and Market Streets, opened.
• May 30. Sunday cars run on Green and Coates Streets, (Fairmount Avenue) Railway.
• June 23. Arch Street Railway to Fairmount commences operations.
• July 17. (Sunday) Green and Coates Streets cars stopped by order of the Mayor.
• July 21-23. Sunday car case argument on habeas corpus before Justice Thompson of Supreme Court.
• July 23. Indignation meeting in Independence Square on Sunday cars.
• August 15. Grand trial of steam fire engines at Fairmount on account of visit of City Council of Cincinnati.
• August 20. Great fire. Stout's Planing Mill and Sewing Machine Factory, 18th Ward. Loss very heavy.
• September 8. Great fire. Good Intent Mills, 24th Ward.
• October 1. Fire. Hughes Hay Press, Jefferson Avenue and Marriott Street. No water to be had.
• October 24. Chestnut and Walnut Streets cars commence running to Twenty-second Street.
• November 21. market sheds in Market Street between Front and Eighth, demolition commenced.
• December 25. Dedication of Siloam Methodist Episcopal Church, Wood and Brown Streets (E. Susqehanna Avenue and Moyer Street).
• December 28. Washington Street Wharf fixed upon as the Delaware terminus of Pennsylvania Railroad.