Trolley Thursday 8/20/20 - Cincinnati Street Railway

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus (519-430BC) was a Roman civic and military leader, and dictator, whose legacy is one of simple and faithful leadership. Twice ascended to dictator (back when such a term was neutral or positive rather than negative), Cincinnatus relinquished his power peacefully to the Senate after his duty was done, even at his old age, without any fuss or delay. His understanding and control over the temptations of absolute power made him a figure in civic values, and others like President George Washington have taken his "call to agriculture" to heart. Similarly, the streetcars of Cincinnati served their city with the same faithfulness displayed to the city's namesake, but unlike the famous dictator, the Cincinnati Street Railway's time came much too early, even for a system just shy of operating for 100 years. Today, we look back on the Cincinnati Street Railway with fond memories and find out just what made this system so unique.