Interurban- Interurbans were mostly, but not exclusively, a Midwest phenomena, existing between about 1900 and 1930. By 1930 the Great Depression, cheaper cars, and more and better roads, put most interurban systems out of business, and those same forces were beginning to affect railroad passenger service. Only WWII kept railroad passenger service viable for another decade or so. In their heyday, one could ride interurbans great distances in the southern Michigan interurban system.
The rise of those interurban lines fundamentally changed local transportation habits, commerce, and connected the cities and the countryside while competing with the steam locomotive railroads for passengers and cargo. At a time when most roads were unpaved, interurbans provided a predictable, durable and comfortable way to travel and move products. The interurban opened up the era of commuting. This view is of Marshall, Michigan.