Let's take a Ride

 Post by Doris McCraw

writing as Angela Raines

Photo Property of the Author
Stagecoach Tracks through the Grasslands

Imagine you are in Trinidad, Colorado. You are tired of walking and wish for a change. You decide to take a Streetcar. As you travel on this horse/mule-drawn car, perhaps you see Marshal Masterson as he goes about his business. The year is 1882 and the Trinidad Street Railway Company was founded that same year.

Perhaps Dolores Baca, who, along with her husband Felipe, donated land to create the town of Trinidad, is outside her home on the Plaza. The location was perfect. The Sante Fe Trail ran through the land. Soon the wagons bound for Santa Fe were replaced by trains. Sheep gave way to cattle and then when coal was found nearby the city was on its way.

In the course of its history, many famous people came through the area. In 1872, Sister Blandina arrived to teach the poor in the area before she was sent on to Santa Fe in 1877.

To have a Street Railway Company was a sign that an area had the population to support such an endeavor. 

At the same time, the area was still a frontier town.

USGS Photo of Fishers Peak, 
West of Trinidad, CO

These types of research fuel my imagination and make my writing so much fun. The wonderful 'What If' of storytelling. I can see my young protagonist taking in the wonders of the area.

This is what I did when I told the story of Grant and Hetty in "The Outlaws Letter". Not only does it help add authenticity to the story, but I was also able to share things about my adopted state that fascinate me.

Below is a short excerpt from that story on just that subject of sharing bits of history. In this case the town of Canon City.

Amazon

 Pulling up about a hundred yards away from the prison wall, Hetty climbed down from the wagon, walking slowly forward. She took in the wall, built by the inmates she had been told, the three-story stone building where the prisoners were housed. There were men in the yard, their striped clothing marking them as criminals, along with armed guards watching them.

How did Grant survive? Hetty thought. To be confined, having to live by someone else's schedule. All these thoughts tumbled through Hetty's mind. She wasn't sure she'd ever understand. At the same time, she was thankful Grant had kept that concern for others. Where would she be now if he'd become hardened, jaded with the world, from having spent time behind these walls? What of Maude's husband? How would his time here change him?

Turning away, Hetty returned to the wagon where Maude and Clover waited.

"Thank you," Hetty began, "I know—"

"Don't ya let it bother ya," Maude interrupted. "My husband only has a few more months. Moved here ta be close jest in case—" Maude paused, then smiled. "In the meantime, I've my memories."

Hetty watched Maude as her eyes became unfocused, a smile on her face. Would she ever have that kind of joy with Grant? For that matter would she ever see him again?

Post (c) Doris McCraw 2022 

CLANG, CLANG WENT THE TROLLEY

 Post by Doris McCraw

writing as Angela Raines

Are you someone like me who gets excited when you find a special place when you're history hunting? Have you walked into that unexpected museum to find a treasure trove of unique history? That is exactly what happened to me when I walked through the doors of the Pikes Peak Trolley Museum and Restoration Shop located at 2333 Steele Dr. in Colorado Springs, CO. 

One of the trolleys (The Birney #135) 
in the process of being restored.

This small, but powerful, museum, is located in the roundhouse of the Rock Island Railroad which was one of the many railroads to serve Colorado Springs in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The museum itself tells the story of the trolley system that served Colorado Springs from its beginnings in the 1880s through the early 1930s.

Notice on the side of The Birney

While there I was welcomed by volunteers who love to share their knowledge and passion for trolleys and for some, railroads. Any question I had was answered in-depth and when possible, with visual representation. I was even given a lovely view of "The Polar Express", a miniature moving train system based on the beloved book of the same name.

Not only do you get to see photos and paraphernalia of those by-gone days, but you can also watch work being done to restore these amazing vehicles. Each trolley comes with its own history and if you speak with the volunteer who has been researching that particular one, you are lucky. It was while touring one of these I learned that not only Colorado Springs and Denver had trolley systems, but Aspen and Leadville did also. It is something I will be researching as I continue to write stories that take place in my adopted state.

Replica of a ticket office at the Museum

These sometimes forgotten transportation systems were so much a part of the growth of the towns and cities in the west. I know I will be writing more about this wonderful piece of history. 

In the meanwhile, think about how you might have ridden trolleys if you'd been alive back then. How would you have felt moving along in an open trolley as it took you through town, or to the sites that made the town famous? Oh, the possibilities.

What ticket buyers may have seen as they purchased their tickets.

All photos were taken by the author with the kind permission of the museum.

If you want to know more about the museum here is a link: https://coloradospringstrolleys.com/

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Author of the "Agate Gulch" novellas and "Kiowa Wells" novels.

Angela Raines - author: Telling Stories Where Love & History Meet

Books: Angela Raines Books

Website: Angela Raines - author

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here

(c) Doris McCraw All Rights Reserved.