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Trolley at Lake Harriet Station

Trolley at Lake Harriet Station line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

Decades ago, one of the true gems of the Twin Cities was the extensive trolley systems. Rails crisscrossed the entire area, taking you from virtually any part of the cities to the other. It even ran to Lake Minnetonka, and there was even a trolley boat that would run you out to one of the islands, where there was an amusement part. But, alas, corrupt officials and ruthless business owners, along with the drive by the population to rid itself of anything old, caused the rumination of the entire network. Only a small section now exists along part of the rails left intact near Lake Harriet.

Information about the Trolley at Lake Harriet:

The story of the trolleys of the Twin Cities is a colorful and somewhat sad one. As the city boomed, tracks were laid in virtually all neighborhoods. At it's height, the system was one of the best and extensive in the nation. The trolley system was built in large part by the now defunct Twin City Rapid Transit Company. Here is a map of the network. The trolleys covered much of the city from the eastern suburbs of Saint Paul stretching all the way the western suburbs of Minneapolis. There were some very unique features to the system, including a trolley boat that would cross Lake Minnetonka, and take visitors out to an island in the lake, which at one time had an amusement park. Due to changes in attitudes of the citizens, and the increasing popularity of buses and cars, along with the destructive business practices of Wall Street speculators, trolleys fell out of favor and the system was dismantled. Most of the cars were destroyed and the scrap metal salvaged. There is exists only a small part of the original lines left, riding alongside Lake Harriet in South Minneapolis.