Figure 1.--

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. The American railway systen was still growing rapidly. The track milage was some 164,000 miles (1890). By the turn of the 20th century, the United States rail mileage reached over 193,000 miles (1900). It was the largest rail system in the world. Track milage would continue to grow for another decade, albeit at a slower page. The all-time peak was reached during the World War I era (1914-18). Railroads were supreme in America. It was rails that tied America together, a vital function in such a large country. Not only did the rails supply American factories and istribute the output. Rail is how Americans traveled and delivered retail orders. Rail is how the Post Office transported the mail and how people received their Sears and Mongomery Ward packages. By the early-20th century, the railroads reached even small towns throughout the country. Trains dominated the American economy in every possible way. This was the work of men like Cornelius Vanderbilt, Edward Harriman, Jay Gould, J.P. Mprgan, James Hill, Collis P. Huntington. The Progressive Movement took on the power of the railways. And the Federal Government began to address the issue of their power. This effort began with the Congress passing the Interstate Commerce Act (1887). President Roosevelt would eventually take them on. Henry Ford at the peak of the Rail Road's power introduced the Model T Ford. Ford would fundamentally change the American transport landscaped, althouh when introduced the coyhntry did not have a well developed highway system. There was no highway yet that spanned the Continent.

Created: 8:24 PM 4/21/2023
Last updated: 8:24 PM 4/21/2023