The Great Northern Railway: A History

by Ralph Willard Hidy, Muriel E. Hidy, Roy V. Scott

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.

Genres: Railways

360 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

A specialist in the history of modern business, Ralph Willard Hidy received an A.B. in history from Miami University in 1926, an M.A. from Clark University in 1928, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1935. Throughout his long career as a historian, Hidy worked at such respected institutions as Norwich University (1928-1930), Wheaton College (1932-1947), New York University (1950-1957), and Harvard University (1957-1971).

Reviews

[Ty Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had almost forgotten how laborious it was to read some parts of railroad history since I have no back-ground in stocks, bonds and other forms of finance. However, this volume was written well enough that the details of the financial alchemy did not prevent me from reading and enjoying this effort.

The authors did a through job of touching on the varied aspects that made this particular railroad a major part of the local society.

[M.J. Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the complete history of the railway that built the economy of the Pacific Northwest and the Mesabi Range of northern Minnesota! It is well-written by Scott and Hofsommer, who picked up the book project following the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Hidy, who conceived this book. I enjoyed reading the history of this BN component, and recommend it to any railfan or BN enthusiast!