Street car construction on West Main Street with the Park Hotel in the background, probably photographed in 1905. Introduction of streetcars during the 1880s and 1890s had a profound impact on Madison, allowing residents to live in the newly opened suburbs and ride downtown quickly for work and for shopping. At the same time, convergence of the streetcar lines at the Capital Square consolidated the commercial dominance of the Square. SHSW Lot 4377

On the veranda [of the Park Hotel], the old timers of Madison settled into the chairs and watched the passing parade. They watched the open-side street cars on the Square carrying passengers who sought relief from the day’s humidity. Breezes generated by the moving streetcar cooled the heat-weary passengers. William T. Evjue, 1968

Capital Square | Churches | Evjue, William T. | Hotels | Main Street | Mass transit | Park Hotel | Saint Raphael Cathedral | Street cars