About Andrew Smith Hallidie
Andrew Smith Hallidie was an American entrepreneur who was the promoter of the Clay Street Hill Railroad in San Francisco. This was the world's first practical cable car system, and Hallidie is often therefore regarded as the inventor of the cable car and father of the present day San Francisco cable car system, although both claims are open to dispute. He also introduced the manufacture of wire rope to California, and at an early age was a prolific builder of bridges in the Californian interior. In 1867, Hallidie invented the Hallidie ropeway, a form of aerial tramway used for transporting ore and other materials across mountainous districts, which he successfully installed in a number of locations and later patented.
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