Impact of the Automobile
The introduction of the automobile at the end of the 19th century spurred great changes in the infrastructure of the city and the way people moved about. Nineteenth century St. Louis was a town of horses, wagons, carriages, pedestrians and street-cars (electric street cars by the end of the century.) Accommodating the automobile required paved, wider streets, greater attention to traffic control, and led to the development of new businesses, while older lines of work were eclipsed. These photographs document in part some of the changes made for the automobile.