Description

Motorettes – Minnesota’s Streetcar Women  By Aaron Isaacs

Published by the Minnesota Streetcar Museum  Copyright 2026

Glossy 24 pages. Illustruated through out with black & white photos and newpaper clippings from the 1940s, including letters-to-the editors of the Minneapols and St. Paul newspapers.

As World War II diverted men from every profession -including streetcar operators – into the military the Twin City Rapid Transit Company hired over 460 women to operate the streetcars during the period from 1943 to 1945. But the first hiring of women operators was not during WWII. The shortage of male operators during World War I led to the first hiring of women as streetcar operator in Duluth. From 1918 to 1921 the Duluth Street Railway company hired 21 women as operators. This 24 page booklet covers the history of the Motorettes and Conductorettes -or sometimes referred to as Operators – that helped keep the streetcars running during the war years of no new cars and gas rationing.

In 1993 the Minnesota Streetcar Museum held a reunion honoring the Motorettes and Conductorettes hired during that era. Minnesota Streetcar Museum historian Aaron Issacs’ 1993 article of this reunion is included in this booklet.

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