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Description
On June 13, 1857, the people of Pottawattamie County voted to buy stock in the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company in the amount of $300,000. This editorial, published the following week in Council Bluffs, celebrated that vote but then continued to look to the future of the city.
Transcript of "Mississippi and Missouri Railroad" Newspaper Article Part 2
Printable Excerpt of "Mississippi and Missouri Railroad" Newspaper Article Part 2
Source-Dependent Questions
- How did the editor interpret the outcome of the vote, and how did he think it set the people of Pottawattamie County apart from people in other counties, like Jasper County?
- What economic benefits for Council Bluffs and the county did the editor foresee? What role would those benefits have in the growth of Council Bluffs?
- The editor concluded with a call for certain kinds of men to come to Council Bluffs. What kinds of men did he want, and why did he prefer them over "speculators?" Is this another form of civic responsibility? Why or why not?
- Why would the editor use gender specific language in this article? Why are most of the sources from this time period directed at men?
- How would women's perspectives and interests have overlapped with men's? How would women's perspectives and interests have differed? How could women demonstrate civic responsibility on these issues?
Citation Information
"Mississippi and Missouri Railroad," The Council Bluffs Nonpareil, pg. 2, 20 June 1857. Courtesy of Library of Congress