Toledo Ohio Photo, Summit Street ca. 1900 – Historic Downtown Street Scene

Step back into downtown Toledo, Ohio, around 1900 with this remarkable view of bustling Summit Street. An electric streetcar travels along the tracks while horse-drawn vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians share the busy commercial street.

Look closely and you'll find signs for several Toledo businesses, including Mockett's Men's Furnishings, Granger Merchant Tailor, Albany Dental Parlor, and Adams Express Company. Storefront awnings, overhead trolley wires, advertising signs, and crowded sidewalks capture Toledo during a fascinating period of transition, when the old horse-powered city was rapidly becoming modern.

A wonderful piece of Toledo history and an especially detailed glimpse of everyday American city life at the beginning of the 20th century.