Railroads and the American People

by H. Roger Grant

Overview

In this engaging social history of the impact of railroads on American life, H. Roger Grant explores the railroad's "golden age" of 1830–1930. To capture the essence of the nation's railroad experience, Grant looks at four fundamental topics—trains and travel, train stations, railroads and community life, and the legacy of railroading in America—illustrating each topic with carefully chosen period illustrations. Grant recalls the lasting memories left by train travel, both of luxurious Pullman cars and the grit and grind of coal-powered locals. He discusses the important role railroads played for towns and cities across America, not only for the access they provided to distant places and distant markets but also for the depots that were a focus of community life. Finally, Grant reviews the lasting heritage of the railroads preserved in word, stone, paint, and memory. Railroads and the American People is a sparkling paean to American railroading by one of its finest historians.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780253023797
Publisher:	Indiana University Press
Publication date:	02/27/2017
Series:	Railroads Past and Present
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	328
Sales rank:	1,157,173
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

H. Roger Grant is Kathryn and Calhoun Lemon Professor of History at Clemson University. He is author of more than 30 books, including Electric Interurbans and the American People (IUP, 2016), Railroaders without Borders: A History of the Railroad Development Corporation (IUP, 2015) and The Louisville, Cincinnati & Charleston Rail Road: Dreams of Linking North and South (IUP, 2014).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Prologue
1. Trains
2. Stations
3. Communities
4. Legacy
Sources and Suggestions for Further Reading
Index

What People are Saying About This

John White]]>

Is it necessary to comment on an established author such as Roger Grant. Heavens, he is a fine scholar and writes better than Hemingway!

John White

Is it necessary to comment on an established author such as Roger Grant. Heavens, he is a fine scholar and writes better than Hemingway!

From the Publisher

Bronze Medal, 2012 ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year
2013 AAUP Public and Secondary School Library Selection, Outstanding rating
Gold Medal, Automotive / Aviation / Railroad category, 2014 Independent Publisher Book Awards

John H. White Jr.]]>

Is it necessary to comment on an established author such as Roger Grant. Heavens, he is a fine scholar and writes better than Hemingway!

John H. White Jr.

Is it necessary to comment on an established author such as Roger Grant. Heavens, he is a fine scholar and writes better than Hemingway!

Editorial Reviews

"With plenty of detail, Grant brings a bygone era back to life, addressing everything from social and commercial appeal, racial and gender issues, safety concerns, and leaps in technology. But Grant never loses sight of the big picture and the essential role the railroads played in American life. He writes with authority and clarity in a work that can appeal to both casual and hardcore enthusiasts."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"With its wealth of vignettes and more than 100 black-and-white illustrations, Railroads and the American People does a fine job of humanizing the iron horse."—Wall Street Journal

"Consisting of hundreds of vignettes containing a wealth of detailed descriptions and remembrances, Grant's work is highly recommended to train buffs and others in love with early railroading."—Library Journal

"Railroad historian Grant . . . has written an engaging book of train stories, detailing their social influence from 1830 to 1930. . . . Highly recommended."—Choice

"Read this book slowly, allowing the wealth of detail—which is the book's great strength—time to sink in. You will find yourself thinking about certain details after hours, each reader resonating with some different aspect of the map Grant creates. Re-reading, some other aspect will surface. . . . Grant's book leaves you wishing for more."—Indiana Magazine of History

"Grant very successfully identifies the countless ways that railroads have touched the lives of ordinary Americans and rail enthusiast communities such as ours as well."—Michigan Railfan

"The author explores four fundamental topics—trains and travel, train stations, railroads, and community life, and the legacy of railroading in America—illustrating each topic with carefully chosen period illustrations."—Sn3 Modeler

"Is it necessary to comment on an established author such as Roger Grant. Heavens, he is a fine scholar and writes better than Hemingway!"—John H. White Jr., author of Wet Britches and Muddy Boots: A History of Travel in Victorian America

From the Publisher

The author explores four fundamental topics—trains and travel, train stations, railroads, and community life, and the legacy of railroading in America—illustrating each topic with carefully chosen period illustrations.

Sn3 Modeler

With its wealth of vignettes and more than 100 black-and-white illustrations, Railroads and the American People does a fine job of humanizing the iron horse.

Wall Street Journal

Read this book slowly, allowing the wealth of detail—which is the book's great strength—time to sink in. You will find yourself thinking about certain details after hours, each reader resonating with some different aspect of the map Grant creates. Re-reading, some other aspect will surface. . . . Grant's book leaves you wishing for more.

Indiana Magazine of History

In this delightful and informative study, Clemson University historian Grant (Iowa’s Railroads) explores America’s “love affair with the iron horse,” approaching the subject from a primarily social viewpoint. Drawing from memoirs and anecdotes supplemented with hundreds of photos and reproductions, Grant covers the golden age of railroading (1830–1930) plus the last heyday of the ’40s and ’50s. He shows just how the railroads influenced and shaped the country, even as they evolved over time. In the first section, the author covers the development, design, and culture of the actual rolling stock. The “Stations” chapter is all about the depots and buildings that serviced and expanded the industry. In “Communities,” Grant delves into the love/hate relationship Americans have had with trains. Finally, “Legacy” explores the many ways in which the railroads left indelible marks on American society, from place names to common idioms. With plenty of detail, Grant brings a bygone era back to life, addressing everything from social and commercial appeal, racial and gender issues, safety concerns, and leaps in technology. But Grant never loses sight of the big picture and the essential role the railroads played in American life. He writes with authority and clarity in a work that can appeal to both casual and hardcore enthusiasts. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Grant very successfully identifies the countless ways that railroads have touched the lives of ordinary Americans and rail enthusiast communities such as ours as well.

Michigan Railfan

Railroad historian Grant . . . has written an engaging book of train stories, detailing their social influence from 1830 to 1930. . . . Highly recommended.

Choice

"With its wealth of vignettes and more than 100 black-and-white illustrations, Railroads and the American People does a fine job of humanizing the iron horse."

Wall Street Journal

"Is it necessary to comment on an established author such as Roger Grant. Heavens, he is a fine scholar and writes better than Hemingway!" —John White, author of The American Railroad Passenger Car

John White

Grant (history, Clemson Univ.) takes a topical approach in his social history of the Golden Age of American railroads, from 1830 to 1930. Chapters cover trains, stations, communities, and the railroad's legacies. Grant's use of numerous period quotes, some lengthy, enliven and contextualize his text, as do scores of richly captioned illustrations. He covers topics such as the controversy over operating trains on Sundays, railroad memorials, and the roles of railroads during wartime. The railroads were, he shows, integral to the birth, life, and even death of many towns. To confirm the enduring legacy of the railroads, he recounts the origins and growth of the rail hobbyist and railroad preservation movement. VERDICT Consisting of hundreds of vignettes containing a wealth of detailed descriptions and remembrances, Grant's work is highly recommended to train buffs and others in love with early railroading. Readers wishing for a broader approach to American railroads would be well served by Christian Wolmar's superb survey history, reviewed below. The two works complement each other.—Lawrence Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA

Library Journal