Trolley Thursday 4/22/21 - Friedel Klussman, the Cable Car Lady

It's honestly miraculous that San Francisco was able to keep its century-or-so-old cable car system, long after other American cities had scrapped their own in favor of electric cars. The rolling museums of both the Powell Street Lines and the California Street Railway have now become so emblematic of the City by the Bay that they rake in millions of tourist dollars a year (last year excluded, obviously) and are a beloved icon for both tourists and locals alike. But did you know that this San Francisco treat was almost scrapped in favor of trolley buses? In defiance of what was billed as "progress" and "modernization" stood Mrs. Friedel Klussmann, whose efforts to preserve the cable cars as we have them today have earned her the nickname of "The Cable Car Lady". On today's Trolley Thursday, let's raise a glass to the Cable Car Lady and her admirable efforts to preserve San Franciscan History.