The Great Northern Railway: A History

In the sprawling Northwest, from the upper Mississippi River valley to Puget Sound, no railroad shaped the landscape and society like the Great Northern Railway Company. This is the complete history of that enterprise, from 1856, when the first charter was granted, through the era of James J. Hill known as the Empire Builder to its maturation and eventual merger in 1970, when the eight-thousand-mile Great Northern was incorporated into the massive Burlington Northern.

The Great Northern Railway highlights the changes brought on by economic, political, social, and technological advances, including world wars, increased competition from other modes of transportation, and tighter government restrictions. The first part of the book (1856 1916) examines the railway s early strategies and philosophy, relations with employees, and vigorous campaigns to develop the service area. The second part of the history (1916 1970) offers an assessment of a dramatic period of transition for the railroad international conflicts, the Great Depression, the rise of motor vehicles, increasing labor costs, and stronger unions.

Illustrated with more than two hundred maps, period photographs, and drawings, the volume also includes appendixes listing the original track-laying history, track removals, ruling grades on main freight routes, and main line ruling grades from Minneapolis to Seattle.

Don Hofsommer is a professor of history at St. Cloud State University. He is the author of many books on railroad history, including The Tootin’ Louie: A History of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway, The Great Northern Railway: A History, The Hook & Eye: A History of the Iowa Central Railway, and Minneapolis and the Age of Railways, all published by the University of Minnesota Press.