Charlotte Happenings is your monthly guide to events and things to do in and around Charlotte, NC.
Issue link: http://charlottehappenings.epubxp.com/i/827394
The North Carolina transportation system of the late 19th and early 20th century was both impressive and expansive. Asheville was the first city in North Carolina to operate a streetcar system, but other major cities in the state soon followed; Charlotte implemented streetcar operations in 1891. But when the citywide bus system took over in 1938, the once-popular streetcar system got the boot. Charlotte's trolleys were originally "powered" by mules and horses. The very first trolley system included three cars, each carrying a dozen passengers drawn by two horses. However, by the early 1900s, Duke Power (now Duke Energy) eventually began running a streetcar system fueled by electricity. The initial expansion of the electric streetcar network rolled out in September 1900, when a line opened, connecting Uptown's Fourth Ward to Elmwood Cemetery, just west of the city. With the addition of more streetcars to Latta Park, Dilworth experienced a residential boom during this time. But, as is always the case, new developments eventually replaced old developments; the bus system came along and dominated, and then the automobile took center stage. In the summer of 2015, Charlotte began a throwback to the city's original streetcar system with the advent of the CityLYNX Gold Line. The free and open-to-the-public line features three replica trolleys that run daily along Trade Street and Elizabeth Avenue, from Spectrum Center (formerly Time Warner Cable Arena) to Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center, making six stops. RETRO charlotte By Abby Blanton PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBINSON-SPANGLER CAROLINA ROOM – CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG LIBRARY The Charlotte Streetcar and Bus System JUNE 2017 47