Before Air-conditioning…

…there was the streetcar. Many systems kept ‘convertible’ cars which could have windows removed (or dropped into sash pockets in the sides) for summer use. Many riders paid a nickel to enjoy the mild breeze created by the movement of the car; others paid to get to an amusement park, swimming beach, or dance pavilion for some cooler summer evening entertainment.

The follow-on to the trolley was the air-conditioned movie theater, often the only haven of cool air in towns of the 30s. With the advent of television and residential air-conditioning, the communities of the trolley, the front porch, and the movie theater were doomed.

Seattle could still recreate the cool evenings of the trolley, though, as the waterfront will always be cool in the evenings and after sundown. Hopefully the George Benson Streetcar will return, again to carry riders to a cool view and breeze on hot summer nights.