The Wheels That Drove New York tells the fascinating story of how a
public transportation system helped transform a small trading community
on the southern tip of Manhattan island to a world financial capital
that is home to more than 8,000,000 people. From the earliest days of
horse-drawn conveyances to the wonders of one of the world's largest and
most efficient subways, the story links the developing history of the
City itself to the growth and development of its public transit system.
Along the way, the key role of played by the inventors, builders,
financiers, and managers of the system are highlighted.
New York began as a fur trading outpost run by the Dutch West India
Company, established after the discovery and exploration of New York
Harbor and its great river by Henry Hudson. It was eventually taken over
by the British, and the magnificent harbor provided for a growing center
of trade. Trade spurred industry, initially those needed to support the
shipping industry, later spreading to various products for export. When
DeWitt Clinton built the Erie Canal, which linked New York Harbor to the
Great Lakes, New York became the center of trade for all products moving
into and out of the mid-west.
As industry grew, New York became a magnate for immigrants seeking
refuge in a new land of opportunity. The City's population continued to
expand. Both water and land barriers, however, forced virtually the
entire population to live south of what is now 14th Street. Densities
grew dangerously, and brought both disease and conflict to the poorer
quarters of the Five Towns. To expand, the City needed to conquer land
and water barriers, primarily with a public transportation system.
By the time of the Civil War, the City was at a breaking point. The
horse-drawn public conveyances that had provided all of the public
transportation services since the 1820's needed to be replaced with
something more effective and efficient. First came the elevated
railroads, initially powered by steam engines. With the invention of
electricity and the electric traction motor, the elevated's were
electrified, and a trolley system emerged. Finally, in 1904, the City
opened its first subway. From there, the City's growth to northern
Manhattan and to the "outer boroughs" of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx
exploded.
The Wheels That Drove New York takes us through the present day, and
discusses the many challenges that the transit system has had to face
over the years. It also traces the conversion of the system from fully
private operations (through the elevated railways) to the fully public
system that exists today, and the problems that this transformation has
created along the way.
