The IRON HORSE AND THE WINDY CITY: HOW RAILROADS SHAPED CHICAGO [Hardcover]

DAVID YOUNG (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0875803342 | ISBN-13: 978-0875803340 | Publication Date: May 18, 2005 | Edition: 1

With the coming of railroads, upstart Chicago quickly became the Midwest's center for commerce and trade, overtaking its older rival, St. Louis. The first tracks to link the East coast with the West ran through Chicago, and within a few decades the city grew to be the hub of an immense transportation network that stretched across the nation.

Noted transportation writer David M. Young vividly tells how railroads created and shaped Chicago, from the earliest times to the present. He shows how the expansion of rail lines promoted the growth of the suburbs, and how Chicago's burgeoning manufacturing hub became home to such corporate giants as Cyrus McCormick's harvester operation and catalogue houses Montgomery Ward; Spiegel; and Sears, Roebuck and Company. For the most part, the railroad companies that schemed to bypass Chicago failed.

As the hub of a vast transportation network, Chicago experienced many tragic accidents at rail crossings. One of the first books to deal with the history of accidents and issues of safety, The Iron Horse and the Windy City reveals how Chicago eventually forced railroad companies to eliminate dangerous crossings by installing barriers or by raising tracks above street level.

Railroad magnates, entrepreneurs, and ordinary people come to life in this first comprehensive account of the impact of railroads on Chicago. Transportation historians and general readers interested in Chicago will find it both essential and engaging.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fine book, worth the attention of any serious historian of the railroad industry."—Journal of Illinois History

"David M. Young enriches and expands upon our historical knowledge of Chicago by illuminating the centrality of railroading in the city's ascent. This book, in the company of Young's earlier studies about the city's transportation history, will rightfully assume an indispensable place on readers' bookshelves."—Michael H. Ebner, author of Creating Chicago's North Shore

"In this nicely crafted work, David Young takes the reader on a fascinating tour of the past and present of railroads in Chicagoland. This book is remarkably informative and offers lively reading. No one has ever done this topic so well."—H. Roger Grant, author of The North Western

About the Author

David M. Young, former transportation editor for the Chicago Tribune, is author of several books on transportation in Chicago, including Chicago Transit.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press; 1 edition (May 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875803342
• ISBN-13: 978-0875803340
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,277,796 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wealth of Information - Lack of maps, September 3, 2005

By 

Russel A. Dove (Indianapolis, In United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The IRON HORSE AND THE WINDY CITY: HOW RAILROADS SHAPED CHICAGO (Hardcover)

Let me start by saying this book is a treasure trove of information on the developement of Chicago as a railroad mecca. Very detailed information over a wide variety of railroad topics. I did feel as if the author did repeat himself though. He would touch on topics in one section, only to later go back to those topics in their own sections. I had the feeling of "didn't I already read some of this?". Also lacking was any maps that showed the developement of Chicago's railroad network. At the very least, a map of the current railroads and where they go in the city could have been included, and can be easily gotten from the Chicago Operating Rules Association (CORA). I have one on my wall.

So, if you know something about Chicago (who goes where) this book will tell you why they went there. If you don't have a good idea of which railroads are where in Chicago, it may be a bit of a tough read for you.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good information, but it needed editing, December 31, 2006

By 

Phil Kosin (Chicago, Ill.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The IRON HORSE AND THE WINDY CITY: HOW RAILROADS SHAPED CHICAGO (Hardcover)

This book is much-more railroad-oriented and a better read than Ann Keating's "Chicagoland - City and Suburbs in the Railroad Age" -- although it is not a great hunk of writing. It, too, unfortunately reads too much like a research paper or dissertation -- filled with quasi-useless statistics to the point of being slightly stat-heavy, in an effort to impress someone.

But there are some great nuggets if you don't mind doing some digging. The book, while well-organized into salient chapters, needed a professional editor to guide the author and also polish up the text. The author frequently repeats thoughts and passages on nearby pages, leading me to believe it was read by some college prof for a grade before it was sent to a publisher, without being proofread.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ALLL ABOARRRRD, August 11, 2005

By 

Graham Kincaid "Ken" (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The IRON HORSE AND THE WINDY CITY: HOW RAILROADS SHAPED CHICAGO (Hardcover)

What a fun read! This will make you feel like a kid again, remembering your Lionel, American Flyer or HO train sets. Mr. Young amazes you with well researched facts and rare illustrations on how dominant the railroad was in developing this great land, and especially Chicagoland. I have found that my consciousness has changed and each time I see a track, wait for a train to pass at a crossing, or go for a train ride, I feel a part of something great and wonderful about America. This is a thoughtful gift for your friends who feel the romance of trains in their lives. Alllll Aborrrrd!