Brooklyn and Fruitvale Railroad

The Oakland, Brooklyn and Fruitvale Railroad was a significant horse car line connecting downtown Oakland with the town of Brooklyn (lands south of Lake Merritt and the channel). Resident knew it colloquially as the "Tubbs Line," named after one of its backers, Hiram Tubbs. In the 1800s, if you did not own your own horse or a bike, you had to walk every mile you traveled. The horsecar revolutionized public transit by pulling cars along steel tracks, providing a smoother and more reliable ride.

Established in 1871, the four-car, 22-horse-powered Tubbs Line extended from 7th and Broadway to 12th Street, then eastward along East 12th Street. For 25 years, it provided an important connection for workers in Fruitvale commuting along the waterfront to various jobs. Unfortunately, it wasn’t always the most sanitary and resource-efficient system, flooding waterways with manure and requiring a vast amount of hay, water and stables. By 1895, the line transitioned to electric cars, marking a technological shift in urban transportation.