PITTSBURGH INCLINES AND STREET RAILWAYS. 2005 by Howard V. Worley, Jr. The key to Pittsburgh's early population growth and commercial expansion was its public transporation system. Beginning after the Great Fire of 1845 with the primitive omnibus lines and continuing through the next decades using the horse car, cable car and then harnessing the wonder of electricity, the city doubled its number of citizens and experienced an industrial boom that placed its output first of any American city. Pittsburgh was on its way to becoming the "Workshop of the World". Innovations on land travel were many, but the biggest technical advances in carrying the people and goods of the Iron City came on its steep hillsides. Here was the birthplace of the inclined plane. Pittsburgh's terrain was a natural for these hillside elevators and there were more built here than in any other city in the world. The period from 1850 to 1900 saw the greatest number of street railway lines and incline planes operating in the city and surrounding communities. Many survived into the 20th Century, many did not, most were largely forgotten. Contained in this book are the histories of many of these incline and street railway companies and the names, faces and backgrounds of the prominent Pittsburgh men whose vision conceived, financed, built and operated them. See article in May 15, 2005 issue of BUTLER EAGLE. 143 pages, 8 1/2 x 11 Softbound ISBN 0-9658620-3-8, LOC 2004109541

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