B.H.R.R. Co. Jan 19 1909 22 Flushing Av Line Transfer #03315

Spectacular turn-of-the-century streetcar artifact explicitly dated Tuesday, January 19, 1909, representing the sprawling pre-unification surface network of Kings and Queens counties operated by the Brooklyn Heights Railroad Company.

This century-old primary document offers an incredible, deeply detailed snapshot of the massive grid of streetcar lines running through New York City’s outer boroughs during the early 20th century. A highly appealing aspect of this ticket is the bold green overprint typography used for the date, serial number, and decorative visual framing blocks, creating a stark, high-contrast look against the aged orange-tinted paper stock.

Ultimate Geographic & Transit Keyword Powerhouse
This transfer is a phenomenal resource for Brooklyn and Queens historical researchers, explicitly laying out a dense matrix of legendary early railway and streetcar routes including the 22 Flushing Av Line, 3 Bushwick Av, 5 Broadway, 8 Crosstown, 12 Court St, 18 Fulton St, 19 Flatbush Av, 21 Flatbush-Seventh Av, 23 Flushing-Ridgewood, 24 Flushing-K'bocker, 26 Greene & Gates Avs, 28 Grand St, 29 Graham Av, 30 Greenpoint, 34 Lorimer St, 37 Myrtle Av, 43 Nostrand Av, 44 Nostrand-Culver, 48 Putnam Av, 51 Reid Av, 52 Ralph & Rockaway Avs, 55 Sumner Av, 59 Tompkins Av, 60 Tompkins-Culver, 61 Third Av, 62 Union Av, and 65 Wyckoff Av.

The extensive secondary transfer networks mapped on the face and reverse include iconic destination names such as Avenue C, Belt, Bergen St., Brighton B'ch El., Cypress Hills, Calvary Cemetery, Church Av., Fifth Av., Fifteenth St., Gates-Prospect P'k, Hamilton Av., Hamburg Av., Jamaica Av., Myrtle Av. El., Meeker Av., Marcy Av., Metropolitan Av., Metropolitan-Shuttle, Nassau Av., Ocean Av., Park Av., Richmond Hill, Seventh Av., St. Johns Pl., Union St., Vanderbilt Av., 39th St. Fy.-Bay Ridge Av., 39th St.-Ft. Hamilton, 65th St.-Bay Ridge Av., 65th St.-Ft. Hamilton, 65th St.-Sea Beach, 65th St.-86th St., Ridgewood (Wyckoff Av), Calvary Cem., Kensington Junction, Maspeth Depot, 9th Av Depot, Third Av & 65th St, Bay Ridge & Fifth Av's., Williamsburg Bridge Plaza, Borough Hall, Washington & Sands Sts., Middagh & Fulton Sts., and Boerum Pl. & Atlantic Av.

Historic Line Coverage & Regulations
It documents the operational transfer permissions required for passengers riding the 22 Flushing Av Line. The fine print includes highly specific early regulatory clauses, stating that lines operating over a joint route between a terminus and a junction will neither issue to nor accept transfers from each other while on that joint portion of the route. It also features a pre-printed text marker near the center reading "Pope's Pat.—Time limit, Nov. 21st, 1905," documenting the physical manufacturing or design patent utilized for the ticket layout.

Serial Number and Mechanical Characteristics
The ticket features a distinct five-digit green serial number 03315 printed horizontally inside an ornate typographic border. The bottom PM section features a clear, circular conductor punch hole indicating the specific 10:00 hour block of issue. The top edge shows a rough, hand-torn margin from where the conductor ripped the document from its original pad using a metal cutting strip, reflecting its genuine daily utility on early public transit.

Historical Context
The Brooklyn Heights Railroad Company was the massive core lessee that anchored the vast Brooklyn Rapid Transit (BRT) conglomerate during this era, operating dozens of critical cross-borough trolley lines that bound together rapidly growing commercial pockets across northern and eastern Kings County. This 1909 specimen demonstrates the sheer complexity of coordinating fares across competing or intersecting streetcar divisions long before municipal consolidation took over the lines, forcing the company to utilize text-dense, dual-sided tickets to prevent revenue loss at busy transit hubs like the Williamsburg Bridge Plaza, Borough Hall, and various historic ferry landings.

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