Portland Railway Light & Power streetcar system map, 1915 Size:24x36 is nothing if not traditional

is nothing if not traditional - hence the use of serif fonts throughout

I came across a completely different curiosity: Detroit's ill-fated 1918 subway plan

is only financially feasible in the absence of alternatives

Boston already had a well-developed system of horse- and mule-pulled streetcar lines run by five competing companies

from San Jose to San Francisco

Portland Railway Light & Power streetcar system map, 1915 Size:24x36 is nothing if not traditionalPortland was built around the streetcar. In the early 20th century, the city was rapidly expanding, and the best way to build new suburban subdivisions was to build streetcar lines. After all, if you didn't want to take the train, didn't own a horse, and weren't a millionaire who owned one of those newfangled automobile gizmos, you had to walk. The train system was run by Portland Railway Light & Power, which is the ancestor of today's Portland