On Zoom
America’s first big industry, railroads are a transformative force in our history. No other technology altered Missourian’s lives more in the decades surrounding the turn of the 20th century. Joel Rhodes, SHSMO executive director and author of A Missouri Railroad Pioneer: the Life of Louis Houck, explores Missouri railroading, which drove rapid modernization and the industrial revolution.
During the golden age of railroad expansion, New York railroad magnate Jay Gould monopolized Missouri railroading, controlling just about every significant line in the state. But by 1900, a handful of large carriers dominated Missouri’s railroading landscape – Missouri Pacific, Frisco, Wabash, KATY, Rock Island, Kansas City Southern, and Santa Fe – names that did not really change until passenger service ended in the 1960s