Streetcars were a key to Christmas 1907

Streetcars were a key to Christmas 1907
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Ed Lentz

Christmas in Columbus, in 1907 was a pleasant time for most of the people who lived here.

The economy was doing reasonably well and many people who were looking for work were able to find it. The great factories making buggies, shoes, mining equipment, glass and steel were all operating at capacity and there was money in the pockets of most people who came downtown to shop.

And downtown was where people came to spend their money in 1907. The city of 160,000 people had spread out in every direction in the years since the turn of the century. The key to all of this growth was the electrified streetcar. Streetcars permitted people to live two, three and even four miles from the center of Columbus and still make the 30-minute journey to work each morning for only a few cents.

But no matter where one lived in a “street car suburb,” the place to shop, dine, or be entertained was still downtown Columbus. In downtown were the great department stores like the F & R Lazarus Company, which took up most of an entire block on the west side of High Street south of Town Street. The illuminated Lazarus clock tower and building could be seen for blocks. And it was only one of many retail stores that tried to meet the needs of people looking for the perfect present.

READ MORE