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"Costs less to keep than a horse. Doesn't get sick. Doesn't eat when it doesn't work."
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--State of Indiana
(2)
While the automobile was introduced in the 1880's, many people still relied on other modes of transportation for decades to come. In the early 1900's, there were various transportation options. Some people still relied on horses and buggies, while others reveled in taking a trolley. Bicycles were also used for traveling. Students will be fascinated by the way transportation has changed over the past 100 years.
Ask your students if they own or have ever ridden a bicycle. Since all children are at least familiar with bicycles, ask them to describe what a bike looks like and how it works. After a brief discussion, project
Yale Bicycle Club, Westville, c. 1870
by Myron T. Filley (
TWC,
page 102 - photograph was more likely from the 1880's or 1890's based on attire.). Allow students to discuss the differences between their bicycles and the old fashion bicycles shown in the photograph. The bicycles in Filley's photograph have oversized front tires that are nearly as tall as the men standing besides them. Ask students if they think they would be able to ride such a bike. The obvious answer is no. Even if a child made his way up to the seat, he would still be unable to reach the pedals which are located at the center of the front tire. In the photo, eight men are lined up alongside their bikes. Have them think about what members of a Bicycle Club would do. Ask students what they think happened after the photograph was taken. You may explain to your students that this photo was taken on the track at Hamilton Park which was near Edgewood Park. Hubinger Street now runs through the area which encompassed the track.
Explain to your students that bicycles are not the only things to have changed in the past 100 years. Ask your students to imagine what cars looked like long ago. Prompt students to get them thinking. Were cars bigger or smaller? What did the outside look like? What about the inside? Were they safer or more dangerous? Were they faster or slower than today's cars? Which kind of car would be more comfortable to ride in? After the conversation, show students
New Haven, 1909
by T.S. Bronson (
TWC
, page 26) and discuss the automobile shown. The photograph was taken at 44 Temple Street and the vehicle appears to be a 1905 Buick. Since it was a nice, sunny day, the top of the car is down, revealing two rows of leather seats. The seats are definitely not as plush as car seats are today. The tires are larger in diameter but smaller in width, probably making for a bumpier ride. The headlights are projected forward from the sides of the grille. The windshield ends below the man's chin, making one wonder just how shielded he could be from the wind. Because the tires are larger in diameter, the car is raised higher up from the ground. Passengers stepped up onto a small platform to get into the car.
Show students my photograph,
60 Temple Street, 2006
. The building shown in Bronson's photo has been replaced by Temple Medical Center and the Oak Street Connector. Where the 1905 Buick was once parked, now sits my 2005 Toyota Corolla. Ask students to compare the buildings and vehicles in each picture. Both buildings are brick, but serve different purposes. In 1909, Reichert's Palace Garage was located at 44 Temple Street where gas was fifteen cents a gallon. Now it's a massive medical building. The lighting in the earlier photograph makes the building look much more attractive than the cave-like medical building. The cars have also greatly changed. A brand-new 1905 Buick cost $1,200 whereas a new 2005 Toyota Corolla with many amenities cost $23,000. The Buick may look more appealing because of its uniqueness when compared to today's cars, but the modern Toyota is better suited for traveling. Today's cars are much more comfortable, from the seats to the shocks. Old-fashioned cars could reach top speeds of up to 60 mph whereas today's cars reach speeds of nearly twice that.
Another mode of transportation students may be unfamiliar with is the trolley car. Display
New Haven, c. 1910
by T.S. Bronson (
TWC
, page 210). This photograph was taken at the corner of Church and Chapel Streets. The town green is on the left. Ask students what they see in the photograph. A police officer is standing on the left, probably directing traffic since there are no traffic lights. It wasn't until 1912 that traffic lights were used in the United States. A horse pulling a wagon turns left onto Church Street as people safely cross the street on the other side. Have students predict where the people were going. Ask them if they ever see horses on the streets of New Haven. Today, police officers sometimes ride horses in the downtown area of New Haven. Explain to students that many people used to rely on horses to pull wagons and buggies. While there are no trolley cars in the picture, there is certainly evidence of them. Trolley rails run through the streets and cables float above. Ask students what they think the rails and cables were used for. Display
Norwich, 1905
by T.S. Bronson (
TWC,
page 212). Although this is not a photograph of New Haven, it depicts a trolley. Ask students if they've ever ridden on a trolley. If possible, take your students on a fieldtrip to The Shore Line Trolley Museum in East Haven (203) 467-6927.
Display my photograph,
Church & Chapel, May 20, 2006
. This photograph was taken 96 years after T.S. Bronson's photograph, in the precise location. Have students compare the two photographs. The most interesting comparison is that between the police officer and the traffic light. The traffic light now authoritatively looms over the place in which a police officer once stood. All evidence of trolley cars has vanished. Traffic lights and street lights now hang above the streets. Trolley rails have been paved over. Automobiles, the most popular mode of transportation, now line the painted streets. While transportation has changed, many things have remained the same. The streets have kept their names over time and the town green is still intact. Several of the buildings are still standing. People are still walking through the area, although they are dressed much differently. Complete the discussion by asking students if they would prefer traveling in an old-fashioned vehicle or in a modern one. Have them explain their answers.
