From Early Stories to Today · Drawing 20
The horse-drawn streetcar
1861
In 1861, Montréal welcomed its first streetcars. Horses pulled these carriages along rails to carry people through the city.
Look together
Who makes this streetcar move?
An idea to try
Point to the drawing while making three gestures: pulling, rolling and following the rails. Your child matches each action to the horse, wheels or track.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
On November 27, 1861, Montréal's first horse-drawn streetcars entered service. The STM recalls this milestone in its public transport history. The carriage carried several passengers and ran on rails, while a horse provided the effort to pull it through the street.
The scene brings together two things your child may know separately: an animal and a vehicle on rails. Ask them to point out what carries people, what pulls and what guides the route. The drawing evokes the old service without reproducing a particular carriage. The date 1861 refers to Montréal, not to all streetcars worldwide.
Sources and context
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. Source titles appear in their original language; some linked pages are in French.
Source review: 2026-09-12. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.