Observed annually on January 17th, Cable Car Day is a holiday that commemorates an early mode of transportation often associated with the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Many cities across the United States once had cable cars, but there are only a couple of cities that currently have them.

As their name suggests, cable cars travel on steel tracks set above a channel enclosing a cable. These cables were moved using steam engines that the cable cars would latch onto to move and let go of to stop. While cable cars are all but defunct, this holiday keeps them fresh in our minds not only this year but every year to come.

The History of Cable Car Day

Inventor Andrew Smith Hallidie received the first patent for the cable car in 1871. He decided to create this invention after he noticed that horses were falling, and sometimes even dying, while they tried to pull cars up San Francisco’s Jackson Street—a street that is notoriously steep.

He wanted to invent something that could carry people up the street but do it without harming horses. The cable car was his solution to this problem. In 1873, he was already on his way to setting up and operating the world’s first cable car railroad on Clay Street. Cable cars then began to be set up in many other cities, and by 1890, some of the largest cities in America had at least one cable car line.

Around this time, the electric streetcar was invented, and that proved to be a problem for cable cars. That’s because electric streetcars were easier to set up and operate than cable cars. Many cities began to move away from cable cars and towards streetcars at this time, and that was the death knell for the cable car.

Cable Car Day was invented a few years ago and placed on the date when the patent for the cable car was granted to Andrew Hallidie. Unfortunately, we don’t know who invented this holiday or when they invented it. It would appear those little details have been lost to history.

Observing Cable Car Day

Since there’s really only one cable car system in America, this might be the day to head to San Francisco and ride on it. Remember, the San Francisco Cable Car Museum is the place to be for anyone who loves the history and the nostalgia of this form of transportation.

Another way to celebrate this holiday is by learning more about cable cars and sharing that information with friends and family members. On social media, the word about this holiday can be spread using the hashtag #CableCarDay.