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The '''Pensacola streetcar (trolley) system''' was a public transportation system that was operated by various entities between [[1884]] and [[1932]].
The streetcar system in Pensacola can be traced to [[Conrad Kupfrian]], a German immigrant who was reportedly inspired by the horsecars he saw in St. Louis on a business trip. He formed a partnership, the [[Pensacola Streetcar Company]], with [[John Pfeiffer]] and [[John Cosgrove]]. The men raised $50,000 in capital for the project and, on [[November 15]], [[1882]], convinced the [[Pensacola City Council]] to pass an ordinance allowing steel track to be placed in the roadways. The first streetcars, which went operational in [[1884]], ran from [[Pensacola Bay]] north along [[Palafox Street]] to [[Wright Street]], then east to the [[Union Depot]], then south along [[Alcaniz Street|Alcaniz]] to [[Gregory Street|Gregory]] and west to [[DeVilliers Street]]. A north-south link at DeVilliers went south to [[Government Street]] and east again to Palafox. A general fare cost five cents, and cars passed about every ten minutes during high-traffic periods. The company addressed the issue of low ridership after business hours by creating an amusement park destination, called [[Kupfrian's Park]], in the [[North Hill]] neighborhood, extending the line west from DeVilliers on [[La Rua Street|La Rua]] and north on [[J Street]]. Between [[1890]] and [[1891]], the Pensacola Streetcar Company was reorganized as the [[Pensacola Terminal Company]] under directors [[J. H. Carter]], [[J. M. Carter]] and [[Thomas C. Watson]]. They created a new line, called the Dummy Line for its use of [[Wikipedia:steam dummy|steam dummy]] engines, that stretched along [[Bayshore Drive]] to [[Warrington]] and [[Woolsey]], allowing [[Navy Yard]] employees a convenient means to reach the city core. The lines were also extended north to [[Blount Street]] and east to [[East Pensacola Heights]]. The cost of the extension, which included bridges over [[Bayou Chico]] and [[Bayou Texar]], was paid by selling revenue bonds. An economic downturn affected the streetcar company in [[1897]]. It was reorganized again as the [[Pensacola Electric Terminal Railway Company]], with Captain [[William H. Northrup]] as president. [[William A. Blount]]'s law firm assisted in the transition and introduced northern firm Stone & Webster to help develop the utility. The [[Pensacola Electric Light & Power Company]] was also incorporated in [[1897]], building a coal-powered generator at [[Baylen Street|Baylen]] and [[Cedar Street]]s that provided power to much of the area. Elevated wires were placed over the streets to provide electricity to the trolleys; a double set of tracks were placed in the broad [[Palafox Street]]; and a streetcar barn and mechanical shop was built at [[Gadsden Street|Gadsden]] and [[DeVillier Street]]s.
At its peak, a total of 30 trolley cars carried four million passengers per year (1920).<ref>[http://www.dot.state.fl.us/publicinformationoffice/historicdotphotos/rail/pentrolley.htm MyFlorida.com]</ref> Routes included a line in [[Gadsden Street]] [crossing the old [[Bayou Texar]] Bridge to East Pensacola Heights] and a line to [[Kupfrian's Park]]. Also included was a loop encompassing Palafox Street, West Gadsden Street, North Spring Street, and West DeSoto Street back to Palafox, with a turnaround spur reaching on Gadsden past Spring to North [[Reus Street]]. Partially covered tracks and barely concealed right-of way are clearly visible on Gadsden [especially the turnaround track] and DeSoto Street. Another loop reached Old [[East Hill]] via [[Government Street]] to [[Alcaniz Street]] and back to Gadsden. The trolley was discontinued six years after Pensacola Electric Company's [[1932]] merger with [[Gulf Power]].
