Portland's Streetcars

Street railways arrived early in Portland and made lasting social and economic contributions that are still apparent in the layout and character of the city�s neighborhoods today. During the 1890s, streetcar lines spread rapidly into the West Hills and across the Willamette River. The technological prowess of the growing �Rose City� was reflected in the largest horsecar in the Northwest, the second steepest cable car grade in the nation, the first true interurban railway, and an annual illuminat