When streetcars ruled Duluth streets

November 19, 2014 11:30 a.m.

The bustling corner of Superior Street at 5th Avenue West, bracketed by the Spalding Hotel and the Lyceum Theater, was probably the most photographed place in downtown Duluth. The small light on the right front of the approaching car changed colors to indicate the destination. Its use was discontinued when the number of destinations soon exceeded the available colors.
Photograph by Gallagher's Studio, ca. 1915.

'Twin Ports By Trolley' by Aaron Isaacs
Book cover courtesy of publisher

By 1940 they were all gone, but for a generation it was streetcars that dominated the streetscapes of both Duluth and Superior, Wis.

In a new book, author and train enthusiast Aaron Isaacs extensively details the history of the bygone trolley era. Given Duluth's geographic dimensions as a long, hilly and not very wide city, there were unique ways constructed to accommodate, including using a bridge (that no longer exists) to connect Duluth streetcars with Superior. The area was also known for building the Incline Railway, which carried passengers up the famous Duluth hillside, and the only known firefighting trolley in the US, which responded to emergencies along Park Point.

Isaacs joins The Daily Circuit to talk about his book, "Twin Ports by Trolley."

Gallery

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South Superior streetcar — Courtesy of the Minnesota Streetcar Museum
The first day of streetcar service to South Superior on September 14, 1892, may have been the busiest.

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Duluth streetcar — Courtesy Minnesota Streetcar Museum
The big yellow car on the East 8th Street Duluth line in 1937 has just turned from 9th Street onto 7th Avenue East. As soon as the ladies finish boarding, it will begin easing down the steep hill toward downtown, 400 feet below.

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Courtesy Minnesota Streetcar Museum
The Highland car in the late 1890s with the pavilion in the background. The roof of the carhouse is visible to the right of the streetcar.

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