Transportation | Page 45

St. Paul City Railway horsecar number one at Snelling Shops

St. Paul City Railway horsecar number one at Snelling Shops storage shed prior to reconditioning for the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the first horsecar line in St. Paul, 1922.

Horsecar in front of Central High School, Minneapolis

Horsecar in front of Central High School, Minneapolis, 1878.

1872 horsecar compared to a new electric motor streetcar

1872 horsecar compared to a new electric motor streetcar, May 3, 1921. Photographed by C.J. Hibbard.

The first horsecar in the Twin Cities (St. Paul Street Railway Company)

The first horsecar in the Twin Cities (St. Paul Street Railway Company), July 15, 1872.

Horsecar in Minneapolis on Plymouth and Bloomington Avenue line

Horsecar in Minneapolis on Plymouth and Bloomington Avenue line, c.1888.

"Bobtail" horsecar 94, St. Paul City Railway Company

"Bobtail" horsecar 94, St. Paul City Railway Company; sign reads Rice Street to West St. Paul via Robert, Ducas, and Concord Streets, c.1883–1889.

Horse-drawn streetcar in Minneapolis

Horse-drawn streetcar in Minneapolis; sign reads Sixth Street, Monroe Street and Eighth Avenue, c.1885. This photograph shows a second team of horses ready to relieve the team on the horsecar.

Horsecars of the St. Paul and Minneapolis Street Railway Companies

With the rapid growth of the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis in the mid-nineteenth century, the need for a reliable form of public transportation became apparent. Horse-drawn streetcars provided the answer and sparked the growth of what would become one of the most extensive streetcar systems in the country.