For nearly thirty years, from 1892 to 1921, Bozeman residents enjoyed reliable and convenient streetcar transportation. Trolleys moved commuters between the Northern Pacific passenger depot on Bozeman’s north side and the college campus to the south side of town. Bozeman’s streetcar system was known for its exceptional service, in large part due to one particular motorman—Larry O’Brien.

Local resident Paul Davidson was born in Bozeman in 1896 and recalled some early memories of Larry O’Brien and the streetcar system in a 1975 oral history interview. “When I was a babe in arms, we lived out on Mendenhall [Street]. My grandparents lived over in the Livingston area and frequently mother would want to take the train and go over to Livingston. The train we had to catch came through here [Bozeman] about two or three o’clock in the morning, so dad would leave word with Larry the motorman at the car barns, just like you put in a call for a taxi cab. He’d say, ‘Look, Larry, we want to catch the number so and so going east in the morning.’ Larry would come up an hour ahead of time and park and leave the streetcar on the corner of Main and it must have been Grand Avenue. He would come down that block to Mendenhall, ring the doorbell and wait for mother to get dressed and get me dressed. He’d take out the suitcase with us up to the streetcar, turn the trolley around and we’d bumpity-bump-bump down Main Street.” Davidson related that Larry would often then stop briefly at the Bozeman Hotel to pick up traveling salesmen on the way to the Northern Pacific passenger depot on Front Street, where his sleepy passengers could then embark for Livingston or other distant locales.

Other accounts of Larry O’Brien also portray him as committed to excellent customer service, willing to go above and beyond the call of duty. Because the trolley route’s southern terminus was the Montana Agricultural College campus (today’s MSU), many of Larry’s passengers were either students or faculty. The original 1892 route to the university traveled from Main Street south down 9th Avenue. In 1901, a new path was added, which followed South Grand Avenue to Alderson, then down 7th Avenue to Garfield Street. Both routes passed through neighborhoods occupied by college students and faculty, who found catching rides to campus on the trolley particularly convenient.

In his 1968 book, A History of Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, local historian and professor Dr. Merrill Burlingame included a short account of Larry O’Brien, which confirms the accuracy of Davidson’s recollections. According to Burlingame, Larry served as a living alarm clock. He awakened sleepy riders in the middle of the night, carried their bags and loaded them on the streetcar, then transported his passengers to the depot on time. This invaluable service was reiterated again in an 1895 report in Bozeman’s New Issue newspaper, which creatively described Larry’s dedication. “He has been known to travel a block or more at the dead hour of night to awake a traveler from rest who was wrapped in the arms of Morpheus.” In October 1895, newspapers lamented that Larry resigned his position as streetcar conductor in Bozeman and was moving to Logan, where he planned to open a cafe. This move was apparently short-lived (or mis-reported), as by mid-November, local papers delightedly notified riders of Larry’s return to Bozeman streetcar duty.

In his history of Montana State University, Burlingame also described Larry’s relationship with college students. “Larry waited at street corners until laggard students ran the last block... When the car was filled to capacity at the morning hour and prankster students encouraged its normally uneven bounce to the point of jumping the track, Larry vowed, ‘I’m gonna wrap this control lever around somebody’s noggin so tight they’ll bury him wid it on, I will!’ But when all of the boys jumped off to help set the frog and push the car back on the track, Larry was mollified.” Larry and his streetcar also transported students to and from social events on campus. Burlingame noted that James Reid, Montana State College President from 1894 to 1904, is said to have reminded students at the end of each event, “‘Young people, Larry is waiting at the foot of the hill.’”

Undoubtedly, Larry O’Brien’s character was highly regarded and his presence extremely valued by local passengers. Adjectives used to describe Larry and descriptions of him in local newspapers include words and phrases like “genial,” “gentlemanly,” “popular,” “mascot,” “desire to please,” and “Our Larry.” In March of 1898, O’Brien must have gone all-out celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. The Bozeman Courier reported, “He had his car decorated with flags and green streamers, and a goodly supply of color on his own person. But the American flag floated over all.”

According to Paul Davidson, O’Brien and his streetcar once attempted to save a burning house. In 1901, the Traphagen family lived on West Cleveland Street, adjacent to the Montana State College campus. Dr. Frank Traphagen arrived in Bozeman in 1893, where he joined the college faculty and taught chemistry and science. In the early morning hours of March 25, 1901, Frank & Harriet Traphagen’s home caught fire and quickly became an inferno.

Davidson was five years old in 1901 and remembered that his family viewed the commotion from their home at 608 South Grand Avenue. “The fire was up on Professor Traphagen’s home on the edge of the campus right practically at the end of the streetcar line... we heard a horrible racket down the street, and here came the streetcar dragging the hose cart. Obviously, there was no pavement at the time and that hose cart was bumping over the ties of the car track. That was the quickest way to get that hose cart up to that fire.” Davidson claimed that Larry O’Brien was the streetcar driver who took it upon himself to pull the fire-fighting equipment up to the blaze on Cleveland in an unsuccessful but valiant effort to save the home.

In the aftermath, the Bozeman Courier described the blaze. “The fire started in the basement, from the furnace, and had gained such headway when discovered that nothing could be done to check it.” Though dedicated, hard-working, and professional, Bozeman’s turn-of-the-century fire department was at a disadvantage when it came to blazes that engulfed structures such a significant distance from the firehouse on East Main Street. According to the Courier, “The fire department was telephoned for, but owing to the distance of the house from the fire hall, and the time consumed in laying the hose from the nearest hydrant, the house was almost in ashes before a stream of water could be turned onto the flames.”

Another report in the Gallatin County Republican newspaper indicated the fire department never made it to the Traphagen house that night. An April 23rd article included a summary of the Bozeman City Council meeting which noted an investigation into “the Fire Marshall’s refusal to take the fire engine out to the Traphagen fire.” The investigation concluded that, due to the extreme depth of snow and mud on the roads that night, the fire engine would never have made it to the blaze even if it had been attempted. While it is difficult to verify the exact sequence of events (or who was or was not involved), it is apparent that damage was done to two of the fire department’s hose carts during a wild journey south to Cleveland Street. On May 7, 1901, Fire Chief Alexander’s report to the city council was published in the Gallatin County Republican. In addition to the estimated value of property destroyed in recent fires and an accounting of fire hoses used, the following was noted: “All paraphernalia in good condition except two hose carts damaged in being taken to Traphagen fire.” This lends some credence to Davidson’s recollection of O’Brien’s attempt to dowse the fire.

There is memory and evidence of Larry O’Brien’s significant role in the Bozeman community, but who was he? Details of Larry’s past, and life after his career as a conductor in Bozeman, have proven difficult to find. The name “Larry” was likely a nickname. Mentions of Larry O’Brien in the local newspapers often include quotes around the name Larry, and a couple of articles refer to him as “J.J. O’Brien.” A search in Gallatin County voter registration records from the 1890s reveals several individuals by the name of John or James O’Brien. In time, hopefully, further details of Larry’s life will come to light, and we can learn more about this everyday hero who played such an essential and unique role in early Bozeman history.