Spokane's Electric Streetcars

Spokane's Electric Streetcars. . , For nearly five decades, the distinctive sounds of electric trolleys were common on Spokane streets. Humming along straightaways, screeching at stops and corners and thumping at crossings, streetcars were an everyday convenience, with most places in town an easy walk from a trolley line., Public transportation got its start early in Spokane. Beginning in 1888, several companies laid rails and offered streetcar service in the downtown area, including one that used horse-drawn cars. However, electric streetcars prevailed, and in the early 1890s, the Washington Power Company (now called Avista) began purchasing the streetcar companies. In 1922 it merged them into a single streetcar company called Spokane United Railways., Imagine the thrill of riding on an electric trolley in their early years , a fast, comfortable and convenient way to travel compared to walking or using a horse. Stepping aboard a streetcar provided relief from the rutted streets that were seas of dust, mud or snow., Electric streetcar service began before dawn and ended when the "Owl Cars" made their last runs at 12:30 a.m. As more and more track was laid, it became easy to travel between the downtown and “remote” areas of the city, spawning real estate development. Beginning in 1905, passengers could even ride interurban lines to Medical Lake and Cheney. , Somewhat sadly, Spokane's streetcar era ended in the 1930s because of increased use of automobiles and public transit's conversion to buses. Buses could easily change routes to accommodate shifting demand, offered curb-side service, and didn't require rails and trolley wires.