The Railroads of Southeast Missouri Volume 3
From Louis Houck's 500-mile railroad empire out of Cape Girardeau to the founding of Amtrack, join Ralph Hughes for the next leg of the journey and discover how Southeast Missouri-as well as the rest of the U.S.-went from the Golden Age of Transportation to what we know today.
THE "FATHER OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI" was a pioneer, but he also cut a lot of corners. The history of railroads in America is filled with triumphs and tragedies, but few are as convoluted as the 500-mile empire that lawyer, journalist, and historian Louis Houck attempted to build out of Cape Girardeau. From draining the swamps of the Missouri Bootheel to the construction shortcuts that made his railroads unsafe and unreliable none can deny Houck left an indelible impression on the region.
In Volume 1 of this series on the railroads of Southeast Missouri, Ralph Hughes took you from the first laid rails in St. Louis to the far reaches of the western United States. Volume 2 zeroed in on the railway companies that connected one town to another. Now, in Volume 3, Hughes takes us to the modern age, starting with the contributions and shortcomings of Louis Houck's railroad systems to the founding of Amtrak and the consolidation of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad.
Hughes puts his love of trains and old stories to good use in this new volume detailing the establishment of several Missouri railroads, including the Cape Girardeau Northern Railway; Saline Valley Railroad; Chester, Perryville, Ste. Genevieve and Farmington Railroad; Missouri and Southeastern Railway; and many more. Each include their own triumphs and tragedies.
Read the stories, view the 50+ historic images, and discover how the railroads of Southeast Missouri-as well as the rest of the U.S.-went from the Golden Age of Transportation to what we know today. Enjoy the ride!
From Louis Houck's 500-mile railroad empire out of Cape Girardeau to the founding of Amtrack, join Ralph Hughes for the next leg of the journey and discover how Southeast Missouri-as well as the rest of the U.S.-went from the Golden Age of Transportation to what we know today.
THE "FATHER OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI" was a pioneer, but he also cut a lot of corners. The history of railroads in America is filled with triumphs and tragedies, but few are as convoluted as the 500-mile empire that lawyer, journalist, and historian Louis Houck attempted to build out of Cape Girardeau. From draining the swamps of the Missouri Bootheel to the construction shortcuts that made his railroads unsafe and unreliable none can deny Houck left an indelible impression on the region.
In Volume 1 of this series on the railroads of Southeast Missouri, Ralph Hughes took you from the first laid rails in St. Louis to the far reaches of the western United States. Volume 2 zeroed in on the railway companies that connected one town to another. Now, in Volume 3, Hughes takes us to the modern age, starting with the contributions and shortcomings of Louis Houck's railroad systems to the founding of Amtrak and the consolidation of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad.
Hughes puts his love of trains and old stories to good use in this new volume detailing the establishment of several Missouri railroads, including the Cape Girardeau Northern Railway; Saline Valley Railroad; Chester, Perryville, Ste. Genevieve and Farmington Railroad; Missouri and Southeastern Railway; and many more. Each include their own triumphs and tragedies.
Read the stories, view the 50+ historic images, and discover how the railroads of Southeast Missouri-as well as the rest of the U.S.-went from the Golden Age of Transportation to what we know today. Enjoy the ride!