PHOENIX — If you walk around any part of downtown Phoenix nowadays, chances are it won't be long before you hear the clack of the tracks and chirp of the horn of the various light rail cars transporting people across the Valley.
The rail cars are a key mode of transportation for many of today's Valley residents. But did you know streetcars pulled by horses filled the city streets during Phoenix's early years?
Official Phoenix historian Steve Schumacher recently shared this historical photo with 12News, showing a snapshot of daily life in the 1800s.
In the photo, the large building in the center is Maricopa County's first courthouse. Schumacher said the building was built in 1884. Along with the building, you can also see one of the main modes of transportation during that era, the horse-drawn streetcar.
According to Schumacher, the trolley system began in 1887, before electricity became a main source of power.
Along with the transportation, another significant part of the photo is one of the trolleys is going to the "natatorium." But what is it?
Schumacher said a natatorium is an indoor pool. He said the trolley was picking up people between 7th Avenue and 7th Street, taking them to the pool that is now East Lake Park.
Looks like after all these years there's still no better way to beat the Phoenix heat than with a quick dip in the pool.
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