County of marker: St. Louis Independent city
Location of marker: Lindell Blvd. & DeBellevier Ave, Missouri Historical Museum Lawn (Jefferson Memorial), Forest Park
Marker text:
Plaque 1:
MEET ME IN STL LOUIS
On The
LOOP~TROLLEY
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley...Ding, ding, ding went the bell...Zing, zing, zing went my heart strings...For the moment I saw her I fell! Chug, chug, chug went the meter...Thump, thump, thump went the brake...Thump, thump thump, went my heart strings...When she smiled I could feel the car shake.
Judy Garland (Performed by Judy Garland in the film Meet Me In St. Louis), (1944). Words and Music by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane
Trolleys have played a key role in the development of the St. Louis region since the first clang, clang along Olive Street in 1859. From 1888 to 1966, electric trolleys (streetcars) have crisscrossed the streets of St. Louis. Trolleys were the primary form of transportation in the pre-auto-dominated era. Streetcar lines were extended to the western edge of St. Louis to get millions of fair goers to the 1904 World's Fair in Forest Park. Judy Garland would later memorialize the trolleys and the Fair in the 1944 movie "Meet Me In St. Louis."
Then and Now ...
Today, St. Louis has the extremely successful MetroLink, a light rail system, that serves many areas of the city including the area where you are now standing. Similar to the electric trolleys, the MetroLink system is also powered by electricity.
The trolley on display today will one day connect two of St. Louis' MetroLink stations, attractions in Forest Park and the restaurant, shopping and arts & entertainment district called The Loop. Trolleys were an important part of St. Louis history and will be an important part of its future....
Plaque 2:
What was it like to get around St. Louis in 1904?
The very first streetcars were horse drawn. But in 1888 electrification began to occur, thus the trolleys could be bigger and carry more people. In 1904 at the time of the World's Fair in Forest Park, trolley lines serviced much of the area. For a nickle, you could ride all across the city.
In 1920, St. Louis streetcar companies ordered their first Peter Witt model streetcars. Pete Witt, a Cleveland Street Railway commissioner, designed these cars to improve efficiency of streetcar operations. They are essentially unchanged from their original 1927-30 construction. The high-capacity Peter Witt cars allowed passengers to board quickly through wide doors at the front and exit from a second set of doors. Riders then moved toward the rear where a seated conductor collected fees, thus reducing the time cars stopped.
This particular trolley car here on display was manufactured for operation in Milan, Italy, perhaps as early as the late 1920s. The car survived Allie bombing during World War II. Following the war, the cars were restored and remained in service in Milan until the mid-1990s when they were taken out of service. This car was acquired by Gomaco, Inc. of Ida Grove, Iowa and renovated for Citizens for Modern Transit and The Loop Trolley Company in 2005.
Plaque 3:
Will St. Louis once again hear the ding of the bell?
A feasibility study completed in 2000 showed returning trolley service to St. Louis would stimulate economic development, produce great ridership and be an attraction to the St. Louis region. A streetcar would better connect Forest park and The Loop to the two MetroLink stations it would serve, Forest Park and Delmar Loop.
The line would be 2.2 miles lone and would cost approximately $32 million to build.
Citizens for Modern Transit and The Loop Trolley Company, local non-profit organizations, received a grant and raised private money to restore two trolleys (including the one here today) for eventual operation along the 2.2 mile line.
Plaque 4: [This is a map of the streetcar route and the streets and sites and MetroLink line bisecting the trolley.]
Plaque 5:
Citizens for Modern Transit
Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) is a St. Louis non-profit organization founded in 1985 to work for the establishment of MetroLink, the light rail system. CMT is composed of some 1500 members and is governed by a 25-member board of directors. CMT's main role is to advocate for the expansion of MetroLink throughout the St. Louis region - believing that a great transit system is a key to the economic and environmental health of the region. CMT actively promotes the idea of people living and working near light rail lines through a lecture Series, educational trips, walking tours, a website and much more.
In 2001, CMT believed that this proposed trolley line would be a great economic boost for the region.
founded The Loop Trolley Company to build and operate the streetcar line.