The fetid stench of exhaust, the wailing screech of wheels on iron rails, the panic and commotion of a train collision — it’s a typical day on State Street.
At least, it used to be.
Back in the good old days when rail ruled the land and children could work in factories, a handsome streetcar carried Madison residents up and down the length of State Street in style.
Unfortunately, Madison’s streetcar system eventually met the foe that would wipe out urban rail transit in cities across America: the bus.
Rails gave way to roadway, and the lumbering buses rule the streets of Madison to this day.
But for a glorious window in time, Madison residents could watch the streetcars amble down the avenues, delighting passersby and passengers alike.
Take a look at the trolley era below:
Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society
Katie Cooney/The Badger Herald
