The Trolley Car Era in Lincoln

Streetcars in Nebraska’s Capital City, 1883-1945

ISBN: 978-1-7340266-3-4 

Between 1883 and 1945, Lincoln, Nebraska, was one of many cities across America served by a system of streetcar lines that transported thousands of its citizens to their destinations. Beginning with horsecar lines and later coming into the age of electric streetcars, Lincoln would prosper and grow with the expansion of its trolley system. By 1893, Lincoln had more miles of street railway tracks than any other city in Nebraska and was number 35 in the United States. Streetcars continued to be vital to Lincoln’s transportation scene until the end of World War II, when the last trolleys finally gave way to the more flexible bus. The Trolley Car Era in Lincoln provides a look back to when rails in the street meant progress for Nebraska’s capital city.