Figure 1.-- This photo was taken at the Scottsville, Virginia railroad station about 1920. The William Day Smith family was arriving on the Richmond passenger train. Note the throng of townspeople gathered at the depot to watch the train arrive. Scottsville is located in Central Virginia along the James River. The town was Virginia's westernmost center of government and commerce during the 18th century when rivers were still the principal means of travel and transport. Scottsville played a significant role in both the Revolutionary War and Civil Wars.

Railrods played a majpr role in American history. Canals like the Erie Canal played an important role in America's early economic growth. They were, however, soon eclipsed by the inherent efficency of the railroads. The canals and railroads helped open the west, but by the 1850s there was still no connection between the east and west. The railway helped in the opening up of America. Many hundreds of immigrants travelled by train to their new homes. To travel to California, however, one had to trek overland by wagon train or sail. There were two routes, one around Cape Horn or two make a land portage across Central America. The desire to connect the east and west coast by rail played an important role in the coming of the Civil War. Southerners wanted a southern route and northerners a northern route. The greatest proponent of the trans-conninental railway was Senator Stephen A. Douglas from Illinois who was willing to compromise with the South to get his railway. The result was the Kansas-Nebraska Act which opened westewrn territories to slavery (1854). Bleeding Kansas became the opening round of the Civil War. The greater industrial power of the North including a much more extensive railway infrastructure proved decisive in the Civil War (1861-65). The commitment to build the transcontinental railway was made during the Civil war, but real progress only occurred after the War. The Union Pacific was chartered in 1862. The Union Pacific built west from Omaha and the Central Pacific built east. Imigrants after the Civil War began pouring into AZmerica and played a key role in building the transcontinental railway. The two rail lines met at Promitory Heights, Utah (1869). Railways by the 1890s linked all parts of the country. Travellers could go by train to any part of the country. For the first half of the 20th century, the railroads were the main way Americans traveled from place to place. It was at the railway stations that Americans said their goodbyes and welcomed family home. This did not change until after World War II when as a result of the post-War boom that Americans began buying cars and the Federal Government began an extensive highway building program. And for longer trips people began flying.

Created: 11:44 PM 1/19/2006
Last updated: 11:44 PM 1/19/2006