Audio
IMAGE and TEXT: Railroad Expansion
This is a modal window.
Transcript
DESCRIPTION: An image of a 19th century locomotive pulling into the station. The wooden cow catcher fans out in front of the steam engine as smoke trails behind the tall stove top stack that rises above the large steel cylindrical boiler of the train. On the front of the engine is a kerosene headlight, and a large bell rests on top. Hanging off one side of the wooden cab on the rear of the locomotive is the train’s fireman, dressed in dark pants, a white long sleeve shirt and a cap. Behind him the train pulls the tinder car, which carries the fuel for the train. Off to the side stands a man in front of stacks of luggage, his own arms supporting a suitcase over his shoulders. On the side of the frame stands a woman, in a long dress with a hat and a hand on her purse. CREDIT: Library of Congress RELATED TEXT: After the Civil War ended in 1865, the nation began to heal and to unify. Railroads built across the continent played a major role in tying the country together. Fort Scott’s town leaders saw a railroad line as a means to build prosperity by tapping into the trade of Eastern markets. By 1869, their efforts succeeded as the first railroad reached the city. As workers laid tracks south of town, they came into conflict with squatters who forcefully opposed the railroad. The military returned and established the Post of Southeast Kansas (1869–73) to protect the railroad workers. This set the stage for a rare instance when U.S. troops took up arms against American citizens to protect the country’s business interests. From 1842 to 1873, Fort Scott played a significant role in events that helped transform the United States from a young divided republic through the growing pains of conflict and war into maturity as a united and powerful transcontinental nation.
Description
An audio description of the Railroad Expansion section of Fort Scott's Unigrid brochure.
Copyright and Usage Info