By SALINA POST
Salina Post proudly presents Flashback Friday in partnership with the Smoky Hill Museum. Enjoy a weekly tidbit of local history from the staff at Salina Post and the Smoky Hill Museum as we present "Salina-Flashback Fridays."
The Salina Trolley
In the early days of Salina, transportation was a critical part of the town's development. Stagecoaches and railroads brought people to the growing city, while local travel was made possible by dray and hack services. By 1887, the streets were bustling enough that Aaron Adams added a second cab, and Hale’s cab was a fixture for night trains at the depot in the late 1800s.
In 1910, the Salina City Council passed an ordinance to license all public vehicles, including hacks, automobiles, and omnibuses. Fares were affordable, just 25 cents for a mile and a half, while annual licenses varied by vehicle type, with automobiles costing $50 per year.
Livery stables, such as Snyder’s Livery, were common in the 1880s and early 1900s, providing Salinans with single and double rigs for rent. For those wanting a unique experience, the “Belle of Salina” offered steamboat rides along the Smoky Hill River, a popular leisure activity in the late 19th century.
As Salina grew, residents demanded more convenient forms of transportation. Horse-drawn trolleys appeared in 1886, providing service from the depot to Kansas Wesleyan University. This service was quickly upgraded to electric streetcars in 1891. By the early 1920s, buses replaced trolleys, with “Mac’s Bus” offering rides for just ten cents for adults and five cents for children. The expansion of bus services continued, and by 1938, Salina’s buses ran throughout the city, connecting residents to every corner of town and even offering interstate routes.
Automobiles came to Salina in the early 1900s, with the first dealer, F.L. Martin, setting up shop in 1904.
By 1907, several car dealers were established, and the Good Roads Club, led by W.W. Watson, advocated for improved roadways. Salina’s auto industry expanded rapidly, with over eighteen car dealers by the 1920s and 30s, including the well-known Simpson-Hoffman Motor Company. Gas stations, like the Old Dutch Mill at 901 N. Santa Fe, catered to the growing number of drivers with not only fuel but also a restaurant and tourist cabins.
As Salina developed, so too did its transportation landscape, evolving from horse-drawn carriages and riverboats to a thriving automobile and bus network.