Ahh... the days of public transportation...In 1910, there were an estimated 500,000 cars in the United States for the 9.2 million people in the country. In 2015, there are over 250 million cars for an estimated 320 million people. Cities were king, and public transportation was a necessity. Unlike New York and Boston, Baltimore was not developing a system of subways that would never interfere with that car traffic (and therefore never disappear). Instead, we had the trolley/ streetcar/ street railway. This map shows the trolley for the United Railways and Electric Company, which doesn't include any larger railways that had multiple stops within the city and suburbs. The closest thing we have to the streetcar today is the light-rail, which kind of follows the Halethrope Line into the city and then the Mt. Washington Line out. The light-rail then keeps going north past Lake Roland to Timonium and Cockeysville, while the old Mt. Washington Line went to Pikesville. Some close-ups are below, and click here for the full version from Johns Hopkins University Libraries. Reisterstown and Towson were far-off towns of their own, not suburbs. I love the map because, well, I love maps. So much information! I'll stare at them all day.
But this map is also so nicely rendered. Check out how creepy the cemeteries are drawn...faint shadows in the distance.
3 Comments
Bernard J Sachs
10/16/2020 11:57:28 am
I am writing a short article about this map for 'The Live Wire' the newsletter of the Baltimore Streetcar Museum. I need to speak to you about this; if you could call me at (443) 388-6791, it would be appreciated. Bernard J. Sachs
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Bernard J Sachs
10/16/2020 09:06:48 pm
Do you know the name or identity of the artist/designer who created the 1910 United Railways map?? Kindly reply by E-Mail or call me at (443) 388-6791. Bernard J. Sachs ( I am the author of several books/publications about Baltimore streetcars.)
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Bernard J Sachs
10/21/2020 03:48:37 pm
Christina Gaddy;: Trying to communicate with by phone or E-Mail about the UR&E Map of 1909-10. I am a historian who writes for the Baltimore Streetcar Museum, Phone (443) 388-6791; Email: bjsachs@outlook.com
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