On another thread here there is discussion about the "rails to trails" development of recent years. Just today at the LHS I found an interesting book containing the opposite thesis. It's called "Rural Railroads - Trails To Rails". The book is very old and only $5 (good railroad books are an under appreciated commodity). It's by Carlton Corliss and was put out by the IC Railroad and is a 1956 reprint.
Very interesting reading. It takes you from the original game trails to the railroads and all stops in between. You know, game trails became Indian trails, which became pioneer trails, which became railroads, then led to highways. The drawings in it are ancient, but very well done and fascinating.
One thing interesting it contains is a help wanted poster from 1853 for construction workers. They were looking for 3,000 workers and offering $1.25 a day wages plus fare by railroad or steamboat from New York to Illinois. The recruitment was done in Eastern and Southern cities, and described as "a rare chance for persons to go West, being sure of permanent employment in a healthy climate, where land can be bought cheap..."
Sounds like hard, dirty, dangerous work, but at the same time an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of something good...the building of a country.
Anyway, our LHS is like a library of such old works. There are probably a couple hundred books. Enough to spend all day sorting thru for a hidden jewel. However, so far I've not fround any of those already mentioned here. But I'm on the trail...
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