Author Description

From Introduction: "The history of railroads in Southern and Southwestern Wisconsin is complex even though the railroads encompass only a small area. Every locality wanted a railroad, and there was great competition for this new technological development during the railroad building era spanning the half century from 1850 to about 1900. Railroad history can be divided into several distinct eras. The first, while revealing a need for this new type of transportation, was the time in which transportation was very simple, slow, and unreliable. The next era was the period when railroad proposals and construction boomed. Communities fought each other for much desired rail service, and railroad companies worked to obtain enough capital to construct their proposed lines. Railroad construction, however, gradually slowed to a stop, leading into the next era in which railroads were the predominant type of transportation. Railroad companies did their peak business during this particular period. The era of prosperity, however, was shortlived, as a time of decline was inevitable. Business steadily declined on the railroads as newer forms of transportation became more reliable. Unprofitable lines were abandoned, leaving numerous communities without any rail service whatever. The takeover of unprofitable systems by short lines is the most recent era, extending right up to the time of the printing of this book. These smaller railroads fill the gap left as larger railroads abandon portions of their lines...." Softcover, 8.25 X 10.75 inches, 194 pages, illustrated throughout with black-and-white maps and period photographs.