Railroads impact on WashingtonAnd the NorthwestAndrew Cesal Period 3 [Pick the Date] [Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document.]

Social Affect of Railroads The Northern Pacific Railroad and the Great Northern railroads help to create small towns called railroad camps. These camps made social life boom. Thomas Burke was an attorney for the Great Northern Railroad in the 1890s and one of the first lawyers to establish railroads, harbors and utilities for the Puget Sound area. The first proposal of a national transcontinental railroad was thought of in 1845. With the development of the transcontinental railroad new workers were imported from China to lay track and mine coal. After years of respect towards the Chinese (workers), Americans started to resent them because of economic downfalls and eventually rioted in the 1880s across the cities of Tacoma and Seattle. After these riots several laws were created across the West coast to keep control over immigration. Initially, Washington was a state that welcomed freed men and runaway slaves. Alongside the Chinese, African Americans also helped to build railroads and mine. The state would later begin to ban African Americans due to new labor movements. With the recent creation of the Northern Pacific Railroad and the Great Northern Railroads, more and more small towns began construction in Washington. With these small towns brought more people, like the Chinese and African American worker. During Washingtons 1889 constitutional convention, the new railroads were a serious discussion: delegates worried about the monopoly power they had. The delegates forbid their government from subsidizing railroads. With the help of woman voters, Teddy Roosevelt would become President, which in turn would lead to regulations on railroads.

Railroads Affect History

The affects the railroad had on Washington alone were great. Whole towns were created due in part to the railroads. Spokane, for example, was a central hub for Railroads on their way farther West. The city of Shoreline boomed with the introduction of railroads. The Great Northern Railroad, running from Seattle to Minnesota, opened up a direct link from Shoreline to Seattle after the portion through shoreline was created in 1891. The Interurban, a small electric railway between Everett and Tacoma created in 1910, was the prime mode of transportation for Shoreline residents. Some areas depended on the railroads: their location, creation, and fate were solely based on railroads, one these areas are Adams County. Cities like Twin Well, Providence, Lind, Paha, Ritzville, Keystone, Washtucna, Hooper, Benge, and Lantz were all created to occupy railroad workers. Businesses like churches, schools, hotels, post offices, etc. were created along with the towns. In 1907 the town of Othello was created as a railway division for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroads. Trains would later come through Othello to re-ice their cars. Many cities in the state of Washington were created just to occupy railroad travelers, workers, and trains themselves. Without the creation of railroads such as the Great Northern and Northern Pacific, Washington would cease to exist today, this State depended on them that much for social growth.

Affect of Railroads on Politics The Political aspects that the railroads brought about were often dramatic.

The name of Gilman (Squak) Issaquah had to undergo a name change because the USPS didnt want to get it confused with Gilmer, so the state legislature tried to change the town name to Olney, but the Gilman Town Council petitioned the legislature, keeping the name. In 1889 (before the name change) they named the town Gilman, after Daniel Hunt Gilman a promoter of the railroads. George F. Cotterill (1865-1958), Seattles mayor between 1912-1914, was brought to the northwest to work on the Northern Pacific Railroad at the age of 18. The town of Slaughter had a population of 25 in 1886 and mail was delivered twice a week. The next year, there was a population over 300 due to railroads. The name was changed to Auburn after a petition in 1893. John J. McGilvra, a friend of Abraham Lincoln, was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Washington Territory. One of his main jobs was to secure rail services for the city of Seattle. James J. Hill (completed great northern railway) had his trusts broken up by National Reformers in 1904. September 5, 1911, voters create the port of Seattle and put the harbor under public management and ownership. After hearing news that the terminus for the NP railroad would be in Tacoma, Seattleites responded by attempting to make their own railroad, the SWW. SWW would eventually fail and was taken over by the NP railroad.

Railroads Affect Washington Economy Railroads were the base of Washingtons economy before the invention of cars. Railroads made a supply route for fish, lumber, and coal out of Washington to be sold around the U.S. Any town that had a railroad through it had its economy based on the railroad itself. With the railroad, towns were built, then saloons, hotels, restaurants and other facilities.

The economy of Washington was mostly because of railroads and partly due to trading with Asia. The town of starbuck was created because of the railroad. Spokanes whole economy was based around the railroads, for instance, the davenport hotel was built to accommodate railroaders. Thanks to railroads, lumber and fish from Washington could be transported throughout the U.S for money. Washingtons economy, like the rest of the nation, boomed with railroad creation. The railroads had to buy all their tracks, spikes and supplies like shovels, picks and other items. With several railroads being built across the country, the U.S. economy jumped. 1879- Travelers start to settle near Pasco, WA. Pasco was a leader in Agricultural products and with the introduction of railroads; they could export more to the rest of the country. Snohomishs economy was dominated by logging, lumbering, and agriculture in the 1920s, but, trains helped to create that town and give people to help flourish the economy. In the small town of Metaline Falls, cement was a big to the economy. The Leigh Portland cement company would haul 12-15 cars of cement every day. Metaline relied on the railroad to transport its cement, for cement was its central economy.

The Northwests main job for the Nation was to produce and export raw materials, leaving the northwest subservient. Since the Northwest was colonial by political standards in the late 1800s to early 1900s, it wasnt considered as much as other states in the national capital. Because of its colonial state, the northwest didnt get much help from the government. Between 1890-1945, the northwest tried to relieve itself from its subservience. To do this, the Northwest would have to colonize as an extractive hinterland. The Northwest would see great economic improvements with the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, for instance, the northwest could get trade generated by Alaskan gold rushes. Dams

offered another means of improving the northwests economy; railroads would bring the necessary materials for the construction of these dams. In Washingtons constitution it clearly expresses the concerns farmers had towards the power of railroads, although railroads did help to boost the Northwests economy. The main economy of Oregon was based around lumber, with the introduction of a railroad, the lumber could be shipped faster, with more on each load. Short railroads were built specifically for getting lumber and bringing it back, a short line railroad. Like Washington, many Oregon cities were formed as a result of the railroad and their economy increased. As for the social aspect of railroads, it brought about new employers, employees and communities. Across the northwest whole towns and cities were created, bringing new business, increasing old business, and a rise in population.

A negative effect the railroads had on the northwests social status was the fact that it many men were lost in the creation of it. The job of working on railroads was very dangerous. The Portland & Seattle Railway was finished in 1906 and never actually went to Seattle. The Transcontinental would bring in many political leaders of the northwest. Railroads brought the value of land up in the Northwest and across the Nation.

RAILROADS IN OPERATION BEFORE JAN. 1, 1848 OHIO Sandusky, Mansfield, and Newark, Sandusky to Mansfield Mad River and Lake Erie, Sandusky to Bellefontaine Little Miami, Cincinnati to Springfield Erie and Kalamazoo, Toledo to Adrian INDIANA

56 102 84 33

Madison and Indianapolis, Madison to Indianapolis ILLINOIS Northern Cross, Meredosia to Springfield MICHIGAN Michigan Southern, Monroe to Hillsdale Michigan Southern, Junction to Tecumseh Michigan Central, Detroit to Kalamazoo Detroit and Milwaukee, Detroit to Pontiac Total mileage, Jan 1, 1848

86 55 66 10 143 25 660

This table shows how much the northwest was dependent on railroads, in total, there was 660 miles of railroads winding through northwest. With the railroads brought many people to the northwest, having been too rural, the northwest depended on fur for most of its economic needs. With all of the people, towns with hotels and diners and other many producing buildings came along.

Work Cited

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