Trolley Street – SW First Ave.
The story of Portland’s early horse-drawn streetcars begins in 1872, when the city was still small and most people walked wherever they needed to go. As businesses and houses spread out from the riverfront, walking became harder, especially in muddy winter weather. To solve this problem a local businessman built the city’s first horse-drawn streetcar line. The line ran along First Street through the downtown business district.
The first route was only about two miles long. The cars ran on iron rails set into the street and were pulled by one or two horses. Even though the cars were not very fast, they were more comfortable than walking in the mud and rain.
Fares were low enough that many workers could afford them, and the trolleys helped connect neighborhoods to the downtown area. Because the cars followed fixed rails, they were smoother and safer than regular wagons on rough streets.
However, horse-drawn streetcars had problems. Horses got tired, needed food and stables, and could not pull heavier cars very far or very fast. By 1889 electric streetcars were introduced. These new electric streetcars were faster, cleaner, and cheaper to run.
Even though they operated for only a few decades, Portland’s early horse-drawn streetcars were very important. They were the city’s first real public transit system and showed people that they did not have to live and work in the same small area. The lines encouraged new neighborhoods, helped businesses grow, and prepared the way for the larger network of electric streetcars that would come next.
Today, when modern streetcars run through downtown Portland, they are part of a long story that began with those small wooden cars, iron rails, and hard-working horses in 1872.
Note: Discuss horse drawn street cars anywhere along SW 1st and point out Max lines.
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Discussion Questions:
What were some problems with using horses to pull street cars?
What “streetcar” runs along this street today?
Vocabulary: fixed rails
State Education Standards:
Social Studies 3.1 Examine how different levels of city and county government provide services to members of a community. Civics and Government
Social Studies 3.19 Analyze different ways that people, other living things, and the environment might be affected by an event, issue, or problem. Social Science Analysis