Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Eastern Traction Company of Indiana
The Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Eastern Traction Company (THI&E) was formed on 1 March 1907. The Indianapolis and Western Railway, the Indianapolis and Eastern Railway, the Richmond Street and Interurban Railway, and the Indianapolis Coal Traction Company were predecessor companies. On 25 March 1907, the THI&E acquired the Terre Haute Traction and Light Company and in 1912 it purchased the Indianapolis, Crawfordsville and Danville Electric Railway. The company also controlled the Indianapolis Street Railway. Profits from the street railway and the power company assured the survival of the THI&E through the 1920s, but the company went into receivership on 2 April 1930.
The Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Eastern Traction Company was the second largest interurban in Indiana at the height of the "Interurban Era." The system had over 400 miles of track, with lines radiating from Indianapolis to the east, northwest, west and southwest as well as streetcar lines in several major cities. The THI&E was formed in 1907 as a combination of several predecessor interurban and street car companies and was operated independently until its incorporation into the Indiana Railroad in 1931. The THI&E served a wide range of territory, including farmlands in central Indiana, the mining region around Brazil, and numerous urban centers.
