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Los Angeles, now internationally recognized as the sprawling metropolis with snaking freeways, was once a city intimately connected by intricate streetcar and railway systems.  

Los Angeles’ transport history is a tale of evolution, of a growing city embracing the technological shifts of its time. Initially, the city's vast lands were covered by horse-propelled streetcars; the first of which, the Spring and Sixth Street Railroad, was built in 1874. The presence of horse-driven systems was soon succeeded by cable technology. The Second Street Cable Railway, which commenced operations in 1885, served as a testament to this shift. Notably, these earlier rail systems were intertwined with real estate interests, facilitating the sale of lands that were once deemed too remote.

While cable car systems like the Pacific Cable Railway (later renamed the Los Angeles Cable Railway) had a vast network around the growing downtown area by 1889, their days were numbered. The burdens of high construction costs and operational issues combined with the emergence of electric railway technology sounded the death knell for cable technology.

The spark of electric transit started with the Los Angeles Electric Railway in 1887. However, the true electrification movement gained momentum with the arrival of Sherman and Clark in 1890. Their ambitious projects and endeavors in 1891, such as the acquisition of the Depot Line and the construction of lines to Westlake Park and the University of Southern California, propelled Los Angeles into the electric era. By 1893, with the acquisition of the Pacific Cable Railway's assets, the Los Angeles Consolidated Electric Railway Company dominated the city's transit scene.

However, the journey was fraught with challenges. The 1893 depression put a strain on operations and led to service cuts. By 1894, a formidable competitor, the Los Angeles Traction Company, emerged. Additionally, Sherman and Clark shifted their attention to an inter-urban line, the Los Angeles and Pasadena Railway.

The year 1895 was a turning point. With financial difficulties plaguing the Los Angeles Consolidated Electric Railway Company, bondholders took charge, forming the Los Angeles Railway (LARy) and acquiring the assets of the former. This transition was pivotal. The new entity swiftly electrified the remaining cable and horse-driven lines, setting the stage for the system's acquisition by Henry E. Huntington in 1898.

Under Huntington's leadership, the Los Angeles Railway flourished. This golden era of transit in Los Angeles witnessed the proliferation of streetcar lines touching every corner of the city – from Crenshaw and West Adams to Echo Park and Lincoln Heights.