Como-Harriet Streetcar Line and Trolley
Posted by: 
MNSearchers
N 44° 55.644 W 093° 18.575
15T E 475569 N 4974932
Construction of the streetcar system in Minneapolis began in 1875 when the Minneapolis Street Railway built 4.37 miles of track beginning at Washington and Hennepin Avenues in downtown Minneapolis.
Waymark Code: WM38Z2
Location: Minnesota, United States
Date Posted: 02/27/2008
Views: 38
The ten cars that plied these rails had a ten foot long passenger compartment that could hold fourteen passengers, had four wheels, weighed about a thousand pounds, and were drawn by horses.
The Lake Harriet Trolley, “1300,” and the Como-Harriet Streetcar Line together are the last working examples of the once extensive public transportation system in Minneapolis. Once extending as far as downtown St. Paul, the Como-Harriet Streetcar Line became inoperable after 1954 when the streetcar system was converted into buses. To date, the restored trolleys run on one-half mile of the original route just to the west of Lake Harriet. Passengers board the car from an original platform at the intersection of West 42nd Street and Queen Avenue South. The trolley was built in April 1908 with a yellow body with brown trim above the floor line, forest green below, and Tuscan red roof and widow sashes. The Como Interurban – Harriet, which originally ran from Lake Harriet in Minneapolis to the Ryan Hotel in St. Paul, opened for use on July 1, 1898. The tracks at Lake Harriet had been in use since 1884; first for horse and then for electric cars after 1891. Eventually, the line was extended to the shores of Lake Minnetonka fourteen miles to the west, providing public transportation to popular recreation areas and aiding the development of the western suburbs. The remaining trolley and tracks at Lake Harriet are the most important link from the past leading toward a transportation model for the future.
Street address:
42nd St., W. and Queen Ave
Minneapolis, MN USA
County / Borough / Parish: Hennepin
Year listed: 1977
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event
Periods of significance: 1875-1899, 1900-1924, 1925-1949
Historic function: Transportation
Current function: Outdoor Recreation
Privately owned?: yes
Season start / Season finish: From: 05/01/2008 To: 11/15/2008
Hours of operation: From: 12:00 PM To: 9:00 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.