Frank Julian Sprague

The first city wide streetcar system was in Richmond, Virginia in 1888,  It was thought to be a miracle at the time that it was built, and its story is pretty spectacular!

Frank Julian Sprague graduated from Annapolis and began inventing things...he invented electrical improvements for the ships he served on, then he worked with Thomas Edison to develop a motor that had a constant speed.  He started his own company before the age of 30.

Along comes the Richmond Virginia Union Passenger Railroad who offered Sprague a contract.  Build us a streetcar system.  You have 90 days to build us 80 motors, equip 80 cars (more streetcars than were in use in the entire country at that time).  Oh, and lay 12 miles of track along Richmond's steep grades and sharp curves, and erect an overhead trolley along those 12 miles of track.  And oh, build and equip a central power plant as well. Remember you have 90 days to complete the contract.  No upfront money - you will only be paid the 110K IF we find your work "satisfactory".

Who would take that contract today??  Sprague completed his contract on time and in 1888 the Richmond streetcar system began operation.  The residents were amazed saying, "Sprague freed the mules!"  "No longer will mules adorn our city streets." 

Sprague went on to build a hundred other city streetcar systems, as well as design a "multiple-unit" control for improving the subway and the elevated, found new ways to apply the electric motor to the elevator and machine tools and improved printing presses, dentist drills and home appliances as well.
Quite a busy guy! 

And I bet you never heard of Frank Julian Sprague before!

Next time...Improvement to suburban life
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Today in Pioneer History:  "On August 15, 1969, the Woodstock Music Festival opens on a farm in White Lake in upstate New York.  Three days of the best of rock and roll music went into history as the largest peaceful music gathering in history.  (I was only 15 or I would have gone!)