Railroads And Its Impact On The Development Of Washington

The Washington state railroads had a monumental impact on the development of Washington. The first Transcontinental Railroad, the Northern Pacific, was built, uniting the western half of America, including Washington State, with the eastern half. Radical thinkers such as Governor Stevens proposed a direct connection from the East to the untouched resources of the West. The United Sates government supported the railway lines by providing state grants. They gave the railroad millions of acres of land in the undeveloped West. The railroad companies sold off the land and with the money made, financed their railroad construction. It was built in the late 1800's and was completed over the course of many years. The population of Washington grew quickly

The people of Washington were able to receive large prosperity after the development of the transcontinental line. The economy grew and people were able to ship goods, cities emerged, and investments were made to the West, which used to be thought as isolated and undeveloped. “The railroad allowed farmers, rancher, and miners sell their goods beyond the borders of the territory. Goods produced on farms could be easily shipped to coveted eastern markets.” (Artifact J) This allowed for growth and income for the state, which is one way the railways boosted the economy. Farming and agriculture was one way the economy grew and flourished, because it provided people with jobs. Businesses also were able to form from the new invention of refrigerated boxcars. The newly found knowledge of pasteurization permitted beer to flow west, which motivated the Northwest to produce more hops, which provided extra jobs. (Artifact P) This added flow of jobs, occurring after in the coming of the railroad in 1886, added to the already boosting economy. Likewise, many cities also benefited from their relation to the rail lines. “Civic leaders in Tacoma and rival Seattle had long dreamed of forging direct rail connections to the outside world. They needed to create links between the farm and ranch land of eastern Washington and to the ocean shipping

The geography of Washington changed along with the building of the transcontinental railroads. Cities and farmland sprouted up in places, and others grew exponentially. Natural resources were extracted from environments, such as timber. For example, James J. Hill began using the land surrounding the Great Northern Line. He produced cattle, hogs, and wheat. Besides this, he also received a large land grant, for which he transferred into a timber industry. (Artifact T) By doing so, Hill turned natural timberland into farmland, modifying the original landscape. The railroads also made the demand for tunnels and cutting through mountains. Chinese men drilled holes into the mountains and filled them with dynamite. (Artifact N) The cutting and drilling meant for reworking the natural mountains and making them beneficial to our needs. The cutting also meant affecting the land and changing it. This was needed for the railroads to continue on their proposed routes that also altered the landscape, as well. The rail lines had cut through forest, causing deforestation, and cut through mountainous rock. The railways that draw through Washington go through natural land features, such as mountain ranges. (Artifact W) Bridges and blasting mountain rock took over 6 years, all the way to the completion of the transcontinental railroad, in 1869. During these times, much land