Follow the Streetcars

suburban lou · PostMar 20, 2005#12005-03-20T08:00+00:00

These photos are Streets & Streetcars of St. Louis by Andrew D. Young and showcase the final years of the streetcar in St. Louis.

More Photos will be added later on.

Grand and Olive 1960

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/40 ... nal>Larger size </a>

Manchester and Sarah 1949

Olive Downtwon 1966

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/40 ... nal>Larger size </a>

Meramec 1959

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/40 ... nal>Larger size </a>

12th and Market 1951

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/40 ... nal>Larger size </a>

Jefferson and Market 1958

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/40 ... nal>Larger size </a>

Labadie and Sarah 1946

12th(Tucker) and Washington 1951

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/40 ... nal>Larger size </a>

Grand Midtown 1959

Grand and Shenandoah 1959

Gas Light Square 1966

Jefferson and Potomic 1958

Park ave 1951

South Grand at Reservoir Park 1959

Union Blvd. from Congress Hotel 1964

Union and Pershing 1964

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/40 ... nal>Larger size </a>

Chippewa at Texas 1959

Chouteau at 18th 1951

Easton (Now Dr. Martin Luther King dr.) at Hamilton 1963

Easton at Sarah 1963

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/40 ... nal>Larger size </a>

Jefferson and Broadway 1956

jivecitystl · PostMar 20, 2005#22005-03-20T16:52+00:00

Even though I'm Jewish, PRAISE JESUS!

MattnSTL · PostMar 20, 2005#32005-03-20T18:23+00:00

They just keep getting better.

mcarril · PostMar 20, 2005#42005-03-20T20:58+00:00

Anyone know where you can find a map of the old streetcar lines?

courtland · PostMar 21, 2005#52005-03-21T02:51+00:00

this is freaking fantastic. the best photos I ever saw on the internet.

THANK YOU!

suburban lou · PostMar 22, 2005#62005-03-22T05:36+00:00

Grand and Palm 1958

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/41 ... nal>Larger size</A>

Grand and Hebert 1958

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/41 ... nal>Larger size</A>

Jefferson and Hebert 1958

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/41 ... nal>Larger size</A>

Jefferson and St. Louis 1958

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/41 ... nal>Larger size</A>

Jefferson and Thomas 1958 aPruit Igoe on left

Jefferson and Pine 1958

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/41 ... nal>Larger size</A>

Olive and Taylor 1964

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/41 ... nal>Larger size</A>

Olive and Walton 1964

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/41 ... nal>Larger size</A>

Euclid and Mcpherson 1964

4th and Pine 1964

<a href =http://www.pbase.com/citylover/image/41 ... nal>Larger size</A>

More still on the way

10-intuition · PostMar 22, 2005#72005-03-22T07:36+00:00

man, looking at those pics, makes me wish there were streetcars still on the roads here.

San Fran and Toronto still both use them and I got to those citys regularly to visit family and friends as well as take mass transit.

brickandmortar · PostMar 22, 2005#82005-03-22T16:49+00:00

I don't want to be greedy, but keep 'em coming CityLover. Those are great pictures!

southslider · PostMar 22, 2005#92005-03-22T18:13+00:00

For a streetcar map circa 1942, go to Google, and complete an image source for: "stlg1942"

Unfortunately, the page were the image is supposed to be is no longer available.

archmadness · PostMar 23, 2005#102005-03-23T04:31+00:00

cool ass thread

citygirl · PostMar 24, 2005#112005-03-24T04:36+00:00

This is treat & a real pleasure...especially the shot of Easton Ave in Wellston. I can't tell you how much I enjoy these old photos. A glimpse of what St. Louis was like in the 50's when my parents were young. Awesome!

Expat · PostAug 03, 2005#122005-08-03T14:05+00:00

I hope everyone has taken a good look at these pics. They are amazing. I want to have my mom & dad look at these pics with me and get their personal recollections. It blows my mind that my parents and grandparents took this for granted back in those days. To meet them now, you would never know they were such urbanistas - LOL. I took special notice of the Jefferson & Market area pics, since it has all been destroyed - we have lost so much. But at the same time, I noticed many areas around the city that are nearly intact. In fact, Grand near the Fox is amazingly intact. With some black and white film, some ladies in scarves, and a streetcar, you could almost recreate the scene. We need to get that scene back - and it can be done.

stlgasm · PostAug 03, 2005#132005-08-03T15:54+00:00

I own this book and it makes me cry. Just looking at the urban fabric that's been lost- some pics are not even recognizable. The views of Kingshighway and Delmar are enough to make you sick, not to mention countless neighborhoods on the North Side and Midtown.

Bring back the streetcars and restore the dignity and pedestrian activity to our city!

Expat · PostAug 03, 2005#142005-08-03T16:02+00:00

What is the name of this book? Think I can get it on Amazon?

urbanstlouis · PostAug 03, 2005#152005-08-03T16:08+00:00

Expat wrote:What is the name of this book? Think I can get it on Amazon?

Yes, you can get it through Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 33-3232004

Streets and Streetcars of St. Louis: A Sentimental Journey (Paperback)

by Andrew D. Young

brickandmortar · PostAug 03, 2005#162005-08-03T17:01+00:00

I just got a chance to thumb through a copy of the book at work. It is amazing how much has changed in the last 45 years. The part that saddens me most is looking at Jefferson Avenue (Market to the north anyway) before it was widened. There were so many buildings along it, not anymore. The other part that saddened me was seeing how Chouteau looked(just west of downtown) in the not so recent past.

It must have been something to live back then before TVs and internet boards

Another item of note was that in July 1953 most of the streets downtown became one-way.

bprop · PostAug 03, 2005#172005-08-03T22:10+00:00

I have the book as well, and it is fascinating. What also surprises me, and gives me some hope, is how ugly parts of the city -- including downtown -- looked in the mid 1960s. The influx of surface parking is, in my estimation, the primary reason. Some areas have actually improved since 40 years ago.

framer · PostAug 07, 2005#182005-08-07T21:20+00:00

Wow, I just saw all these pictures for the first time. THANKS!

It really jarred me when I would see an intersection I'm familiar with today, and realized the main differance between then and now is the MISSING BUILDINGS! Especially on the corners. What a damn shame we lost so many of those! Thank god we still have so many left, though.

I'm gonna have to run out and get this book.

markofucity · PostAug 18, 2005#192005-08-18T19:21+00:00

I've seen that book ... but personally I find the pictures almost too painfull to look at. Everytime I see them I'm just stunned at how much urbanity was lost. I just don't understand how our parenst generation could let all of that just crumble away. Didn't anybody gove a damn about their city? How could any city let gaslight square be demolished? What in god's name were they thikning when they took out the street car lines? I'm just dumb founded. Those pics show exactly the kind of enviroment that cities are crawling over themselves to develope today. Sadly I doubt we'll ever come close to equalling what we once had. ... makes me want cry.

stlgasm · PostAug 19, 2005#202005-08-19T11:55+00:00

I thought this was interesting...

MetroLink line compared to the Hodiamont streetcar line:

http://www.apta.com/research/info/onlin ... h2new3.cfm

Here is a map of the East St. Louis streetcar network at its peak:

http://hometown.aol.com/chirailfan/eslmapt.html

And finally, here's a map of the entire St. Louis streetcar system in 1920!

You can order it on EBay!!! Just type in "St. Louis streetcar" and you'll find it! What a treasure!

marmar · PostAug 20, 2005#212005-08-20T04:42+00:00

There was a streetcar that travelled between Sprinfield, Il and downtown StL. I believe it was taken out in the late fifties or early sixties, but I remember seeing it. It was blue with a silver roof and ran along the main RR tracks (in Illinois) that run up to Chicago and Detroit. Not a comuter train, but a regular electric streetcar.

walton · PostJan 09, 2006#222006-01-09T06:03+00:00

Wish one day the streecars come roling down grand ave again,maybe futuristic cars in the newly created entertainment district at Grand centre.I think its agreat idea.Would attract younger people to move in the area.

trent · PostJan 09, 2006#232006-01-09T06:08+00:00

It'd be nice, but that's a long ways off. Personally, I'd ride the MetroLink more often if there was street car service down Grand.

suburban lou · PostOct 05, 2006#242006-10-05T21:16+00:00

I wonder where the first two where taken.

Alex Ihnen · PostOct 05, 2006#252006-10-05T21:21+00:00

SWEET. I say scrap the ubber-retro/classic/wooden streetcars of Joe Edwards and bring back the Art Deco dreams!