San Francisco’s First Cable Car
On August 2, 1873, Clay Street Hill Railroad inaugurated San Francisco’s now-famous cable car system.
The city of San Francisco, California, is known for its steep hills. In the early days, horses pulled streetcars up and down the slopes, which was very hard on the animals. British-born San Franciscan Andrew S. Hallidie felt great sympathy for these horses and sought a better way to transport people around the city.