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The next several articles posted here at The Great American Plains will deal with the history of the railroads as they crossed the plains, both from the east and from the west. The first articles will concern the railroad as construction began on the eastern edge of the Great Plains and moved westward to meet the railroad coming from the west and the various problems that occurred with each of these two sections. Throughout the summer months new articles have been posted here about once a month. However, concerning this series of articles on the railroad, I will be posting them as often as they are completed. So now:
and ENJOY THE RIDE! COMING FROM THE EAST On February 22, 1854 a unique celebration occurred. This was the day that the first railroad, coming from the east, reached the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. The celebration of this event took place in the vicinity of the town of Rock Island, Illinois and her rival, Davenport, Iowa that lay across from her on the opposite bank of the Mississippi. February 22 was also the noted date for celebrating the birth of George Washington though according to a 1732 calendar, the birth year of this great American, February 11 is the correct date. But in 1854 that aged calendar was not being used as a reference. However, it was due to the occasion of the birthday of the “Father of Our Country” that prompted the patriotic promoters of the railroad to strive for that date to have their rails, snaking from eastward to westward, reach the banks of the “Father of Waters”—the Mississippi. The men laying the rails, working overtime, laid the last rail and spiked it to the ties one hour before the Chicago and Rock Island’s Locomotive No. 10 whistled its way into view of the great river.
Up until about 1849, the Missouri River had been the main course of transportation for those venturing westward. Travel on this river, combined with the traffic that traversed westward across the Great Plains, had made little impact or change on the topography or the native population of the mid-region of the vast area. Of course that all began to change between late 1849 and early 1850 with the event of gold being discovered in California. Now, the westward moving railroad, combined with the laying of tracks beginning in the Pacific West and moving eastward, would make what changes had come to the Great Plains seem nearly minute in comparison to what was yet to come. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article The Railroad, part 1 in The Great Plains is owned by Mary Trotter Kion. Permission to republish The Railroad, part 1 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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