State Historical Society of Iowa

"The Railroad" Newspaper Article, December 20, 1849

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"The Railroad" Newspaper Article, December 20, 1849
Courtesy of Library of Congress, "The Railroad," The Davenport Gazette, pp. 2, 20 December 1849

Description

In the first years of Iowa settlement, trade was oriented down the Mississippi River to St. Louis and New Orleans. With the advent of the railroad, Iowa communities began to look East. This story details efforts to raise money for the building of a railroad that would connect with a railroad planned from Peoria to Rock Island.

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Source-Dependent Questions

  • This article described another method of funding railroad construction. What was that method? Would you anticipate this method would be more or less successful than others? Why?
  • Who were the different entities involved in raising funds for the railroad? Were they public or private?

Citation Information 

"The Railroad," The Davenport Gazette, pp. 2, 20 December 1849. Courtesy of Library of Congress