R & B Issues 2025   Winter, 2025 Spring, 2025 Summer, 2025 The street railway worked very effectively until the advent of the automobile. By 1913, after twenty-one years of profitable business, the income began to diminish, and the company began to struggle. A riff between the city 38 and the company developed over maintenance of cars and tracks. The city gave the company an ultimatum and the following articles appeared in the newspapers. “The street cars were idle from November, 1916, until July, 1917, when the city commenced to operate them. They were a losing game from the first and the sleet storm of Dec. 17, 1924, was a knockout blow as far as the city officials were concerned. As a last resort the lines were turned over to the Illinois Public Utility company for $1 per year and that plan failed also. “It has not been the case of a city being in decline: it has been the same proposition that the horse gave way to the automobile and with thousands of automobiles navigating about citizens of Lincoln found but little use for the car lines. “The official death notice is expected to be signed Monday night when the city council will consider what will be done – in salvaging – and little music will be heard in the halls that night. The streetcars are back in the barns to stay.” *** The photo of the Kickapoo streetcar on our first page has been provided by Dr. D. Leigh Henson   *** <click on desired link, above>