The Iron Road in the Prairie State: The Story of Illinois Railroading
Simon Cordery
In 1836, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas agreed on one thing: Illinois needed railroads. Over the next fifty years, the state became the nation's railroad hub, with Chicago at its center. Speculators, greed, growth, and regulation followed as the railroad industry consumed unprecedented amounts of capital and labor. A nationwide market resulted, and the Windy City became the site of opportunities and challenges that remain to this day. In this first-of-its-kind history, full of entertaining anecdotes and colorful characters, Simon Cordery describes the explosive growth of Illinois railroads and its impact on America. Cordery shows how railroading in Illinois influenced railroad financing, the creation of a national economy, and government regulation of business. Cordery's masterful chronicle of rail development in Illinois from 1837 to 2010 reveals how the state's expanding railroads became the foundation of the nation's rail network.
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About Simon Cordery
Reviews for The Iron Road in the Prairie State: The Story of Illinois Railroading
The Chicago Tribune
What makes this work a true rarity is the author's inclusion of larger scholarly themes, such as corporate consolidation and US cultural trends. As a result, the story of one state's railroads becomes a narrative on the larger history of railroads in the US from the 19th to 20th centuries. A significant contribution to the study of rail transportation in Illinois and the US. . . . Highly recommended.
Choice
[An] effective overview of the state that gave us railroad lawyer Abraham Lincoln, Pullman, rail labor strife, Electro-Motive, Civil War heroism, Samuel Insull, and a host of other milestones.
Classic Trains
Though readers might reasonably expect a volume twice, even thrice the size of this one, it's Cordery's welcome accomplishment to have told this complex story so concisely and accessibly — all the while skillfully situating Illinois railroad development in a national context.
The Lexington Quarterly
Author Simon Cordery possesses a detailed command of the extensive literature on the subject . . . and has a particular talent for concise and effective descriptions of the complex financial and organizational histories of the many railroads that served Illinois.
The Annuals of Iowa
One of the book's remarkable strengths, in fact, is its contextuality: labor, social, political and economic issues driving Illinois railroad history are all deftly interwoven in its fabric. . . . Cordery is a pleasure to read and the book is peppered with informative allusions and anecdotes.
The Lexington Quarterly
In this first-of-its-kind history, full of entertaining anecdotes and colorful characters, Simon Cordery describes the explosive growth of Illinois railroads and its impact on America.
S. Gaugian
"The author skillfully weaves the story into the larger context of national events and developments which had a significant impact on railroads in the Prairie State. This excellent volume gives the fascinating subject matter here the treatment it truly deserves."
The Michigan Railfan
"This is a richly detailed, well-documented, and nicely illustrated volume, fully in keeping with the high standards set by series editors George M. Smerk and H. Roger Grant."
Ohio Valley History