Dallas streetcar service began in 1872. The first cars were pulled by horses and mules through the dusty, muddy and ever expanding city. Streetcars were electrified in 1889 ushering in the golden age of streetcars in Dallas - proving a faster and more efficient method of transportation around the booming city. By 1910, over 20 lines traveled throughout Dallas, including neighborhoods like the Cedars, Uptown and East Dallas, in addition to the established Downtown and Oak Cliff routes. By 1936, Dallas was home to over 300 streetcars. The streetcar heyday ended as the population of Dallas starting moving from the city to the suburbs and embracing new busing systems as well as individual, car-based transportation. By the 1950s the streetcars were merely part of the city’s rich history. But more than 50 years later, as downtown Dallas and surrounding areas increased in popularity, there was a demand for a modern streetcar line. The streetcar is once again a popular mode of transportation around Dallas. Though the modern-day version has replaced the old streetcar, remnants of its rich history live on.
Investors who owned these bonds would make regular visits to their banks to cut out and redeem the coupons and collect their interest, so the wealthy citizens of this era became known as "Coupon Clippers."
