{"product_id":"the-chicago-alton-railroad-the-only-way-hardcover","title":"The Chicago \u0026 Alton Railroad: The Only Way - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eGene Glendinning\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe first railroad to connect the Mississippi River with the Great Lakes, the Chicago \u0026amp; Alton Railroad played a key role in the economic development of the Midwest. From humble beginnings in 1847 as transport for farm produce, it grew to link three key midwestern cities--Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City--and set the standard for efficient service and luxurious passenger travel. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSuch famous personages as Abraham Lincoln, Marshall Field, Timothy Blackstone, and Samuel Insull were associated with the Chicago \u0026amp; Alton. Lincoln had been among the first to buy stock in the company, and the Chicago \u0026amp; Alton carried his funeral train on the last leg of its journey to Springfield, Illinois. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe introduction of George Pullman's first sleeping and dining cars enhanced the Chicago \u0026amp; Alton's reputation for elegant style and comfort. The company initiated a number of innovations in rail travel, including the installation of the first steel railroad bridge. It was also the first to bring streamliners and diesels into the highly competitive Chicago-St. Louis corridor. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEvents that shaped America, from the Civil War to World War II, impacted the Chicago \u0026amp; Alton. During the tumultuous years of its business expansion, frequent shifts of power threatened to destroy the railroad. Edward Harriman, for example, rebuilt and reequipped the Chicago \u0026amp; Alton only to lose it in one of his few mistakes. The federal government later seized control during one of the Chicago \u0026amp; Alton's weakest periods, but relinquished it after a devastating coal strike. Even criminal manipulations of the railroad's stock and bonds by a New york financier played a role in the company's turbulent history. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIllustrated with eighty photographs, many of them never before published, The Chicago \u0026amp; Alton Railroad is the first complete history of one of America's most famous small railroads.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGene V. Glendinning is past editor of the GM\u0026amp;OHS News, the official publication of the Gulf, Mobile \u0026amp; Ohio Historical Society, and has published numerous articles on railroad history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 283\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.88 x 11 x 8.48 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 05, 2002\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42129949294727,"sku":"9780875802879","price":120.51,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/2623\/2711\/files\/69df0701a933f796adee8d51fb3d7fa1.webp?v=1732607142","url":"https:\/\/booksby.splitshops.com\/products\/the-chicago-alton-railroad-the-only-way-hardcover","provider":"Books by splitShops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}