Originally Posted by
Roody
But really, when looking at people getting around in their communities, don't you find that the era immediately prior to the automobile truly was a Golden Era? The pedestrians in those old photos certainly look happy as they wander wherever they want, easily able to dodge the few horse wagons and slow moving trolleys. There might have been a pungent aroma of manure, but that was very preferable to the smog and dust particles of our times.
+1
A number of forum memebers think life must have been horrible with all those horses. Visit the library and start reading microfilm from 1900 (of your town) as I did and you'll get a very different picture.
I did not see one comment of anyone complaining about horse droppings. Not one! The newspapers were full of stories about weddings, high school sports, social events all being accomplished with no motor coach or bus! There was one trolley line in my town yet not one complaint about the lack of public transporation in the papers.
Life was differernt but not worse.