The Phoenix Trolley Museum (PTM) collaborated with two esteemed institutions to share the history of street transportation with a broader audience: the Arizona Capitol Museum and the Heard Museum.
 
With support from the Heard Museum, PTM installed an exhibit on the fourth floor of the Arizona State Capitol Museum, 1700 West Washington Street. This “pop-up” exhibit showcases the Phoenix streetcar story within the original territorial capitol building of Phoenix – a fitting location, as the land for the capitol was donated by Moses H. Sherman, an early real estate entrepreneur and founder of the Phoenix Street Railway. Sherman strategically built one of his trolley lines to the capitol, boosting the value of his subdivisions along the route and attracting riders to his trolleys.
 
The Heard Museum, renowned for its dedication to American Indian art and culture, highlights the connection between Native Americans and early transportation in Phoenix. One streetcar route, the “Indian School Line,” extended along Third Street to the Phoenix Indian School. This federally-operated boarding school, active for 99 years, served children from tribes across the West. The trolley line provided crucial transportation for Native students navigating the city and for families visiting from out of town. Today, three historic buildings from the Indian School remain as part of a city park.
 
The Heard Museum played a pivotal role in supporting this exhibit, lending the expertise of an exhibit curator and research assistance. Velma Craig, one of the museum’s Andrew W. Mellon Fellows, contributes her talents to the project. Now in her second year of the fellowship, Velma has previously created family-based gallery guides and continues to enrich the storytelling for the PTM’s exhibit.
 
Your generous support can help advance PTM's mission. Contributions ensure that projects like this exhibit continue to celebrate and preserve the rich history of Phoenix’s street transportation.