The first horse drawn street cars began running in Duluth on July 6, 1883. The Duluth Street Railway Company ran the cars from 8th Avenue West to 3rd Avenue East on Superior Street. The first cars in Superior started running in December 1889. The fare was 5 cents. It was a bumpy ride with slow service.(only 5 mph) Passengers also had to put up with rough conditions. Smelly mules, messy cars, and freezing temps. The cars were nicknamed 'Bobbers'.
In November 1890 the D.S.R. ran the first electric cars. The four wheel cars were nicknamed 'Dinkys'. They were faster also, reaching speeds of 20-25 mph. By 1892 the system had 20 miles of track in Duluth and 14 in Superior. By 1919, 120 cars traveled on 110 miles of track in the Twin Ports. Records show they carried 45 million passengers that year. The D.S.R. was also a major employer in the Twin Ports. Each car had a motorman and a conductor, with well over 600 people working for the company in it's heyday. After WW1, the fare went to 6 cents, and people were outraged. It doesn't seem like much now, but at the time it was a 20% increase.
