John Westfield

Biography

John Westfield was an early Clarksville street railway employee who remained connected to the city’s trolley system for decades. His 1934 obituary noted that he “drove the first mule cars to appear on the streets of Clarksville,” placing him among the first operators of the city’s original horse- or mule-powered streetcar system. Born in England, Westfield later moved to Clarksville, where he lived for about 60 years and also served for many years as a constable in District 12.

On Jan. 30, 1918, he was motorman of Citizens’ Street Railway car No. 1 when it slid into a southbound Louisville & Nashville freight train at the Tenth Street crossing near the passenger depot. Westfield applied the front brakes, while passenger Alex Small applied the rear brakes, but frozen water on the rails prevented the car from stopping. Westfield stepped off shortly before the streetcar struck a boxcar; the car was badly damaged, but no one was injured.