The early 20th century was a time of major changes in transportation. Cars were quite new, and roads mostly did not exist. Horses and buggies were still the transportation of choice for many people. However, a third option also became popular around this time – the trolley.
The earliest streetcars and trolleys were drawn by horses, and developed around the turn of the 19th century. By the turn of the 20th century, streetcars had become electrified. New electric trolleys were more practical for longer distances, and the lines expanded.
At the time, trolleys were viewed by many as the most practical and hygienic means of transportation. Unfinished roads and unreliable performance made many skeptical of the newfangled automobile, and the high price of cars made them impractical for the average budget. Horses and buggies, though still quite popular, were beginning to be seen as dirty and old-fashioned.
With these factors in place, it was perhaps only natural that in some cities, the trolley took the lead as funeral car of choice. For example, the Los Angeles Railway offered funeral charters of a trolley car. The car was specially configured to provide a chapel section (where the coffin was placed) and a passenger compartment. If the immediate family desired privacy, a curtain could be drawn to separate them from the rest of the mourners in the compartment.
Funeral trolley service lasted in Los Angeles only until 1924. Many other cities closed their funeral trolley services near the same time. Many then found that the cars had to be completely remodeled before commuters and sightseers would ride in them.
Though the funeral car trolley lasted only a short time, it is an interesting reminder of a unique period in the history of transportation.