# Horses in 19th c American cities

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horses-in-19th-c-american-cities/707567>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 18, 2014, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horses-in-19th-c-american-cities/707567 "2014-12-18T14:22:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horses-in-19th-c-american-cities/707567/21 "2014-12-19T15:19:12Z")

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> [@chappachula](#):
>
> (Not quite what the the OP asks about in 1875, but a generation later, in 1906: )
> 
> Here’s [a fascinating movie clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jy_ifgU-io)

I was about to comment and ask why so many drivers seem to be sitting on the right side of their cars…than I realized it appears to be mostly just one guy in one car…license plate 4867. we keep seeing him over and over again.

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**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horses-in-19th-c-american-cities/707567/22 "2014-12-19T16:44:18Z")

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> [@chappachula](#):
>
> (Not quite what the the OP asks about in 1875, but a generation later, in 1906: )
> 
> Here’s [a fascinating movie clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jy_ifgU-io) of a street scene in San Fransisco. The street is full of cars, trams, and horse-drawn carriages, and pedestrians. There is only one brief glimpse (at 11:25) of a man riding a horse.
> 
> The amazing thing is the chaos–there appear to be very few traffic rules. There are a couple dozen near-misses of accidents with serious injuries, and nobody seems to be concerned.

Thanks for posting that. I would love to go back and live in that time period for about a week. It fascinates me.

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**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horses-in-19th-c-american-cities/707567/23 "2014-12-19T18:30:50Z")

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> [@usedtobe](#):
>
> Also, for heavy hauling, oxen were used.  
> In the case of San Francisco, a streetcar line was built to haul the waste from downtown out to the big park being built - now the Golden Gate park - there is still a shelter built for the streetcars (it may have been destroyed to prevent use by homeless).
> 
> This one always gets a chuckle: The automobile was originally viewed as a fix for a pollution problem: critter crap.
> 
> Remember the ending of Rocky & Bullwinkle? the little guy with the trash can and broom? Guess what those guys were originally sweeping up?

Yes, look at the picture in my previous post. The manure piles along the roadside put modern snow piles to shame.

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