Section
2: Railways Provided Peerless Transportation
Once
railroads came to the state in the 1870s, all earlier means of transportation
could not compete. The first Northern Pacific locomotive crossed the
Red River into what is now North Dakota in June 1872. By September
of the next year the line was completed to the Missouri River at Bismarck.
The railroads actively
recruited immigrants to settle the area along their tracks, in large
part because they had land to sell. Congress had granted the NP more
than 10 million acres in North Dakota alone. The NP encouraged the
formation of "colonies" of people having similar religious and ethnic
backgrounds. The Great Northern, Soo Line, and Milwaukee Road offered
special "land-seekers" rates.
As roads improved and automobiles
and trucks became more widespread, the popularity and profitability
of the railroad declined. Elevators were consolidated and railroad
branch lines were abandoned.
Chronology
|
1864
|
Congress grants
the Northern Pacific a large portion of North Dakota land.
|
|
1872
|
NP locomotive crosses
the Red River into North Dakota.
|
|
1878
|
First train from
the south arrives at St. Boniface.
|
|
1883
|
New York City and
Portland, Ore. are connected through the NP Main.
|
|
1884
|
First German-Russian
colony settles near Zeeland, N.D.
|
|
1904
|
Fargo's city electric
rail system is built.
|
|
1970
|
Number of rail
lines in the state begins to decline.
|
Discussion Questions
What roles
did railroads play in North Dakota history? i.e. community settlement,
elevators, other transportation, movement of goods and people.
What techniques did
the railraods use to encourage people to settle in North Dakota
and why did they want people to settle in the state?
What caused the popularity
of railroads to decline?
How was the concept
of railway cars used within cities?
How are railroads
changing to remain viable for the future?
Vocabulary
- Northern Pacific
- Land-seeker rates
- Great Northern
- Branch lines
- Unit trains
- Regional railroads or
short lines
- Street railways
