Fish Cars and Fish Culture: Railroads and Sport Fishing in America

Fish Cars and Fish Culture explores the intersection between the development of railroads and fish culture during the last half of the 1800s. R. W. Hafer traces how the growth in the railroad industry, both in terms of its technology and its geographic reach, assisted the newly formed U.S. Fish Commission in its attempt to restore the nation’s rapidly declining fish populations. Because of railroads, the Commission was able to transplant millions of fish, often into non-native waters, across the country. Railroads also fostered the public’s interest in the pastime of sport fishing by not only providing greater access to lakes and streams, but by creating marketing campaigns that popularized sport fishing, especially among women. In addition, railroads contributed to the development of a conservation movement that led to changes in how Americans viewed and took part in outdoor activities.

R. W. Hafer is a former distinguished research professor of economics and finance at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.