|
Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway A Photographic History by Hofsommer w
Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway A Photographic History
By Don L. Hofsommer
Hardbound With Dustjacket
277 Pages
Copyright 2009
Contents
ix Preface
1 Protecting Home Turf:
Minneapolis Builds a Railway, 1871-1899
31 Great Expectations:
Dakota and Beyond, 1900-1923
83 Hard Times and Harder Times:
Receivership-and Dismemberment? 1923-1943
143 The Doctor for Sick Railroads:
Lucian Sprague Restores Solvency,1943-1954
203 A Fresh Approach?
The Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway Adjusts to "Modern Management," 1954-1960
249 End of the Line:
The Minneapolis & St. Louis Disappears into the Chicago & North Western, 1960
In this photographic history of the
Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway (M&StL), railroad historian Don L. Hofsommer revives the memory of a storied regional railroad. The Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway was created on May 26,1870, by a group of Minnesota investors interested in establishing a railroad connection between Minneapolis and the agricultural regions to the south and west. While not flashy, the M&StL served Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and Illinois over nine decades and was essential in opening new territory, providing freight as well as passenger carriage, and employing thousands of people.
Rich in illustrations, this is not just a chronicle of a railroad but also a story and a record of a way of life in the rural upper Midwest. A must-have for readers who fondly remember the Tootin' Louie as well as rail fans, history buffs, and model railroaders.
Preface
It was my railroad. Well, no, I owned none of the stock or any of the bonds issued by the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway Company, but I took a proprietary interest in the road nevertheless. After all, I was born at Lutheran Hospital, nearly in sight of M&StL's yard at Fort Dodge; I lived at various times in communities along its lines (Callender, Fort Dodge, Spencer, Mason City, and Albert Lea); and I spent a summer as an M&StL section laborer. Its employees indulged me with innumerable trips in locomotive cabs, overnight stays in cabooses, and endless hours in depot offices where I inhaled a blizzard of yarns and embroidery spun by master storytellers who relished an enthusiastic audience. And I devoured every page of Frank P. Donovan's spritely Milepo5t5 on the Prairie, marveling at M&StL's curious history and rejoicing at the road's more recent success under Lucian C. Sprague. Happily for me, Donovan became a friend-arguably the kindest and most generous person I have known-and a willing if unofficial mentor when I struggled to turn out a passable master's thesis. Frank died before he was able to do any followup to Mileposts, but I continued to dream that dream. After a very long gestation period, I was able to bring out three books that supplement Frank's Milepo5tO: The Tootin' Louie: A Hi5tory of the Minneapolis 2r St. L01/1t5 Railway; The Hook & Eye: History of the Iowa Central Railway; and Minneapolb and the Age of Railways. I have every great hope that these books are work that he would approve of as additional tribute to the men and women of "our" railroad.
All pictures are of the actual item. If this is a railroad item, this material is obsolete and no longer in use by the railroad. Please email with questions. Publishers of Train Shed Cyclopedias and Stephans Railroad Directories. Large inventory of railroad books and magazines. Thank you for buying from us.
Shipping charges
Postage rates quoted are for shipments to the US only. Ebay Global shipping charges are shown. These items are shipped to Kentucky and then ebay ships them to you. Ebay collects the shipping and customs / import fees. For direct postage rates to these countries, send me an email. Shipping to Canada and other countries varies by weight.
Payment options
Payment must be received within 10 days. Paypal is accepted.
Terms and conditions
All sales are final. Returns accepted if item is not as described. Contact us first. No warranty is stated or implied. Please e-mail us with any questions before bidding.
Thanks for looking at our items.
| 
