Before light rail, trolley cars ran on Phoenix streets. What happened and where are they?

Before light rail, another kind of streetcar rolled on Phoenix streets. From the late 1880s until after World War II, electric trolleys connected Phoenicians with the heart of the city. Those who lived far from downtown could easily access the services and goods there without having to walk or ride a bicycle or horse into town. And it was cheap!

During its heyday, hundreds of residents would ride the streetcar for just a nickel. It would take them from as far as Glendale to the state Capitol building, around East Lake, and up and down what would become Seventh Street and Avenue.

Modernizing Phoenix

The man responsible for bringing the trolley to Phoenix was Moses Sherman. Originally from Vermont, he made his way west, landing first in Prescott and later in Phoenix. Through his investment and business acumen, Sherman launched Phoenix's first trolley system in 1887. Originally, the streetcars were pulled by mules. But soon after, electricity replaced animal power.

Despite the trolleys' popularity, it faced financial troubles and a conspiracy by motor and oil companies to drive trolley companies out of business. Hear the full story in this episode of Valley 101.

Listen to the episode

The best way to listen is to subscribe to Valley 101 on your favorite podcast app, but you also can stream the full episode below.

Read the episode transcript here. Please note, there might be slight discrepancies due to the AI used to transcribe the conversation.

Want to learn more? Visit the Phoenix Trolley Museum on Grand Avenue.

Contact the producer at kaely.monahan@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter @KaelyMonahan.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: A history of Phoenix's trolleys: Valley 101 looks back at their heyday