South Shore: Americas Last Interurban

In a bright new age of electricity, the electric interurban railways were one o the technological marvels of the 20th century. The interurbans were swift, clean and comfortable, and offered frequent service at low fares. They liberated much of small town and rural America from the travel constraints imposed by unpaved roads, horse-drawn transport, and the sooty, infrequent local services offered by the steam railroadsFor close to two decades, the interurbans represented a dynamic and growing industry. By 1917, interurban companies had built over 18,000 miles of line in the U.S. alone. But by then, the growth years were over.Developed almost in parallel with the electric interurbans, the automobile had become a potent competitor to public transportation by the time of World War I. During the 1920s, the family car became an even more convenient way for rural and small town people to get around as roads were paved and the costs of owning and maintaining an automobile came within reach of most families. As a result, the weaker lines began to fail, and by 1920 the industry had begun a long decline, halted only briefly by the heavy traffic of the World War II years. Abandonments accelerated after war's end, and within another decade only a few of the strongest lines remained. This book takes a look back at those hardy properties that managed to last beyond the Great Depression, even if only briefly