There was a strong reliance on horse drawn vehicles in the early part of Hammond's history. This required another industry to support this type of transportation: a network of blacksmiths, livery stables, harness shops, feed stores, all of which existed in the Hammond business district.  When the streetcar was introduced and electrical power cables were installed overhead, these small supportive companies either changed their mode of operation or went out of business.  You can monitor this transition by viewing the street scenes that have horse drawn carriages, then a mix of horses and streetcars, then just street cars while horses were eventually banned from downtown Hammond.

The Bieker Brothers family made the transition from serving the business community when it depended on the horse. They moved from Feed - Hay and Grain to the construction trade with a family owned business that survived for almost a hundred years. Nick Bieker, HHS '59, still lives in the Calumet Region.

The City of Hammond established a network of rail tracks throughout the downtown area and built electrical lines overhead for power. The streetcars moved throughout the area, joining up with other cities so the transportation network could be expanded.  This allowed the public to travel and commute to their jobs, schools, and for shopping.

This trolley is much like the one use in Hammond. Cities throughout the country provided public transportation using the streetcar line.     A picture of the inside seating arrangements of the electric trolley.  Comfortable but close.

Hammond, Whiting & East Chicago Electric Railway Company . . . "The Green Line" The Hammond Historical Society reports: "Originally founded in 1892 as the Hammond Electric Railway Company, it went out of business after just a year of operation. The company only had a short run of two miles of track down Hohman Avenue. It was purchased in 1893 by a group of Hammond businessmen and renamed Hammond, Whiting & East Chicago Electric Railway Company. Its routes and tracks expanded to cover twenty-five miles and served the cities for which it took its name. The South Chicago City Railway bought the line in 1896 and then equipped it with the familiar green street cars that lead to its nickname the "Green Line". In 1903 fifteen cents would get you a one way trip to the Chicago Loop verses the seventy-five cents that the steam railroads would charge for the same distance. But the steam railroad lines quickly lowered their fares in the face of this new competition. The trolley line rarely made a profit. With that in mind the glorious era of street cars in the city of Hammond came to an end on Sunday, June 9th 1940, when the line ceased operations." Source: Hammond Historical Flashbacks Hammond Historical Society

Modern streetcars were not without their problems, especially in northwest Indiana. This photo was taken in South Bend showing what happens when you have a little Lake effect snow.  Notice the horse draw sleigh on runners and how it is about to pass the stalled streetcar.

The incident on this bus was responsible for initiating the Civil Rights Movement that ended segregation in the South and throughout America.

White passengers sat in the front seats while African American passengers were required to sit behind the White boundary sign, even when all of the rear seats were taken and there was standing room only.

Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus when ordered by the driver. She was arrested and paid a $25 fine and was jailed briefly.