Railroad towns
Stations, division points, repair facilities and junctions created employment and attracted businesses. Some towns prospered because a railroad chose them; others declined when routes bypassed them.
Land and settlement
Railroad land grants and promotional campaigns encouraged settlement along new routes. Railroads advertised farmland and transportation access to migrants in the United States and abroad.
Agriculture reaches national markets
Rail connections allowed grain, livestock and other farm products to travel farther and faster. Farmers became increasingly connected to national commodity prices, distant processors and urban consumers.
Environmental and human consequences
Expansion changed landscapes, encouraged intensive resource extraction and contributed to the destruction of bison herds. It also intensified displacement and conflict affecting Native nations.
From frontier routes to permanent networks
Once established, western rail corridors became long-lived transportation arteries. Many remain important freight routes today even though locomotives, traffic and operating methods have changed dramatically.
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