The first streetcar line in Spokane was pulled by a freakin horse!!!
Established in 1886, the Spokane Street Railway was fairly modest - essentially a short run between the central downtown core and the affluent 'suburb' of Browne's Addition, with a short northward line towards the courthouse.
While the use of horses was fairly standard for nearly all early trolley lines (other ’pre-electric’ alternatives include cable or steam based power- each of which Spokane also had at one point), the Spokane Street Railway (like all other systems around the world), quickly converted to an electric system as quickly as it could.
As one of the first lines, the Spokane Street Railway can be considered the prototype and laid the foundation for the future network of trolley lines that would soon cover the city.
As of October 2021, an example of the Spokane Street Railway’s logo or brand has not been located. Unlike some other (later?) systems, the SSR seems like it did not use tokens for their fares. The search continues, however, and if you are aware of such a logo or mark for this company, please leave a comment or use the contact form.
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