19. The Gilded Age saw the introduction of the interurban railroads
Rural areas which were not served directly by the main lines of the railroads were presented with a solution to their transportation needs, for both goods and passengers, with the emergence of the interurbans during the Gilded Age. Interurban railroads were electrified for the most part, connecting smaller towns with the cities served by the larger railroads, and offered an opportunity for suburbs to extend further from the cities while providing reliable commutes to work. The first American interurban opened in 1889 in Ohio. Many radiated from an urban center like spokes in a wheel, particularly in Indianapolis, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Chicago.
At one time, in the decade before World War I, one could travel from New York to Chicago using a series of interurban lines, rather than the Pennsylvania Railroad or the New York Central. The same could be done from Cincinnati to Chicago. The interurban lines during the Gilded Age also carried freight, including fresh produce and milk from outlying farms to markets. They were relatively inexpensive to operate, since they ran on electricity, and their fares were accordingly less expensive than the railroads, which relied on coal for fuel at the time. The interurban railroads remained a feature of the American landscape until they were killed off by the automobile and the national highway system following World War II.
