Trolley Car
Gasoline Motor Cars
The Minneapolis and Northern Railway Company created a trolley route connecting Minneapolis, Coon Rapids, Anoka and Fridley. The trolley path was put into motion in 1912. Because electricity was not available, gasoline motorcars were purchased, and the first trolley was used for travel on June 11, 1913. The fare was $.02 per mile, or $0.30 total for one way.
Electric Trolleys
There were constant problems with the gas-operated cars, and by 1914 a steam locomotive pulled the coaches until electrification was completed. The line was taken over by the Minneapolis-Anoka-Cuyuna Range Railroad in 1915. With the construction of the big power dam in Coon Rapids, electrification of the short line came into sight and the construction of the overhead lines began in the summer of 1915. On October 1, 1915, the electric trolleys dashed back and forth 7 times a day over the Minneapolis-Anoka-Cuyuna Range Railroad from Anoka to Minneapolis.
Trolley Station Names
Trolley stations were constructed in Coon Rapids along the electric line in various locations which were given names, some familiar by neighborhood and area significance, and some glamorous names, including:
- Aqua Vista
- Bryan
- Coleman
- Foley
- Hanson Station
End of the Trolley Line
The yellow suburban streetcars tied Coon Rapids, Anoka, and Minneapolis together for many years and were a familiar travel convenience. In 1939, the line was abandoned as more automobiles came into use and rendered the trolley service obsolete. At the end of it's history, the trolley line became the source of many jokes by locals, even receiving in the nickname of "Tooneville Trolley" in the 1930s.