The Milwaukee Road: Its First Hundred Years is a 1948 non-fiction book on American railroad history by August Derleth. It is an account of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, which was founded in 1847 as the Milwaukee and Waukesha Rail Road, and was known as the "Milwaukee Road". The book covers the first hundred years of the railroad's history from a top-down perspective, with an emphasis on corporate history.
Derleth organized the book chronologically, save for the introduction where he reflects on his own connection to trains growing up in Sauk City, Wisconsin. This section includes several short poems. In the main text Derleth begins with the formative efforts to construct the first railroad in Wisconsin, culminating in the Milwaukee and Mississippi Rail Road, which began operations in 1851. The book narrates the history of the Milwaukee Road through its expansion in the nineteenth century, its several bankruptcies, involvement with Standard Oil, and the construction of its famed "Pacific Extension" in 1901–1909.
The book includes two appendices. Appendix A lists all subsidiary/predecessor companies and the manner of their inclusion into the Milwaukee Road, up through 1947, grouped by state. Appendix B lists all lines constructed by the Milwaukee Road in order of completion with endpoints, mileage, and date of completion. The companies cross-reference with their listings in Appendix A.
Receptionedit
Contemporary reviewers expressed mixed reactions to the book. Charles W. Paape of the Carnegie Institute of Technology criticized Derleth for writing an apologia for the Milwaukee Road and focusing too heavily on the company's administration.[1] Irene Dorothy Neu at Cornell University echoed these criticisms, saying that Derleth's unfamiliarity with railroad history "handicapped" him and led him to rely on internal company sources, although she did praise the work as "absorbingly written."[2] Writing in Minnesota HistoryRodney C. Loehr thought the book would "appeal to railroad fans" but criticized the relative lack of material concerning Minnesota. Loehr, like Paape and Neu, noted the "defensive" nature of the book but suggested that it might serve as a "needed antidote" to past attacks.[3] The Milwaukee Road, for its part, published a favorable notice in the Milwaukee Magazine, its in-house publication.[4]
Since publication Derleth's quotable prose and access to company records guaranteed the book a place in Milwaukee Road scholarship, and most works dealing with the railroad reference it. An annotated bibliography of Wisconsin history published in 1999 included the book and described it as "presented with a novelist's touch."[5] Tom Murray's 2005 The Milwaukee Road quotes extensively from Derleth.[6] Joseph P. Schwieterman's When the Railroad Leaves Town: American Communities in the Age of Rail Line Abandonment used Derleth as a principal reference for the entry on Harlowton, Montana, a former stop on the Milwaukee Road Pacific Extension.[7] Craig Sanders incorporated it in his Limiteds, Locals, and Expresses in Indiana, 1838–1971.[8] Matt Hiner, in a review for Railroad History on the occasion of University of Iowa Press' 2002 reprint, praised the book as "excellent, although now slightly dated" and stated that it was "neither apologist nor sycophantic."[9]
Publicationedit
The Creative Age Press published the book as part of its "The Railroads of America" series.[1] The Milwaukee Road did not sponsor the book for its centennial though it did cooperate with Derleth, providing "data" and "photographs."[10] The University of Iowa Press reprinted the book in 2002 with a foreword by H. Roger Grant.[11]
^Neu, Irene Dorothy (May 1949). "Reviewed Works: The Nickel Plate Road: The History of a Great Railroad. by Taylor Hampton; The Milwaukee Road: Its First Hundred Years. by August Derleth". The Journal of Economic History. 9 (1): 76–77. doi:10.1017/s0022050700090458. JSTOR 2113733.
^Loehr, Rodney C. (September 1948). "Reviewed Work: The Milwaukee Road: Its First Hundred Years by August Derleth". Minnesota History. 29 (3): 251–252. JSTOR 20175405.
^"Those First 100 Years" (PDF). Milwaukee Magazine: 6–7. April–May 1948.
^Murray, Tom (2005). The Milwaukee Road. St. Paul, MN: MBI. p. 159. ISBN0-7603-2072-1.
^Schwieterman, Joseph P. (2004). When the Railroad Leaves Town: American Communities in the Age of Rail Line Abandonment, Western United States. Kirksville, Missouri: Truman State University Press. p. 170. ISBN978-1-931112-13-0.
^Hiner, Matt (Fall–Winter 2002). "Reviewed Work: Milwaukee Road: Its First 100 Years by August Derleth". Railroad History (187): 137–138. JSTOR 43524188.
^"Getting Public Relations Value From a Centennial" (PDF). Railway Age: 64. November 1950.
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The Milwaukee Road Its First Hundred Years is a 1948 non fiction book on American railroad history by August Derleth It is an account of the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific Railroad which was founded in 1847 as the Milwaukee and Waukesha Rail Road and was known as the Milwaukee Road The book covers the first hundred years of the railroad s history from a top down perspective with an emphasis on corporate history The Milwaukee Road Its First Hundred YearsFirst edition coverAuthorAugust DerlethCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishSeriesThe Railroads of AmericaPublished1948 Creative Age Press 2002 University of Iowa Press Pages330OCLC1343197 Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Reception 3 Publication 4 ReferencesSynopsis editDerleth organized the book chronologically save for the introduction where he reflects on his own connection to trains growing up in Sauk City Wisconsin This section includes several short poems In the main text Derleth begins with the formative efforts to construct the first railroad in Wisconsin culminating in the Milwaukee and Mississippi Rail Road which began operations in 1851 The book narrates the history of the Milwaukee Road through its expansion in the nineteenth century its several bankruptcies involvement with Standard Oil and the construction of its famed Pacific Extension in 1901 1909 The book includes two appendices Appendix A lists all subsidiary predecessor companies and the manner of their inclusion into the Milwaukee Road up through 1947 grouped by state Appendix B lists all lines constructed by the Milwaukee Road in order of completion with endpoints mileage and date of completion The companies cross reference with their listings in Appendix A Reception editContemporary reviewers expressed mixed reactions to the book Charles W Paape of the Carnegie Institute of Technology criticized Derleth for writing an apologia for the Milwaukee Road and focusing too heavily on the company s administration 1 Irene Dorothy Neu at Cornell University echoed these criticisms saying that Derleth s unfamiliarity with railroad history handicapped him and led him to rely on internal company sources although she did praise the work as absorbingly written 2 Writing in Minnesota History Rodney C Loehr thought the book would appeal to railroad fans but criticized the relative lack of material concerning Minnesota Loehr like Paape and Neu noted the defensive nature of the book but suggested that it might serve as a needed antidote to past attacks 3 The Milwaukee Road for its part published a favorable notice in the Milwaukee Magazine its in house publication 4 Since publication Derleth s quotable prose and access to company records guaranteed the book a place in Milwaukee Road scholarship and most works dealing with the railroad reference it An annotated bibliography of Wisconsin history published in 1999 included the book and described it as presented with a novelist s touch 5 Tom Murray s 2005 The Milwaukee Road quotes extensively from Derleth 6 Joseph P Schwieterman s When the Railroad Leaves Town American Communities in the Age of Rail Line Abandonment used Derleth as a principal reference for the entry on Harlowton Montana a former stop on the Milwaukee Road Pacific Extension 7 Craig Sanders incorporated it in his Limiteds Locals and Expresses in Indiana 1838 1971 8 Matt Hiner in a review for Railroad History on the occasion of University of Iowa Press 2002 reprint praised the book as excellent although now slightly dated and stated that it was neither apologist nor sycophantic 9 Publication editThe Creative Age Press published the book as part of its The Railroads of America series 1 The Milwaukee Road did not sponsor the book for its centennial though it did cooperate with Derleth providing data and photographs 10 The University of Iowa Press reprinted the book in 2002 with a foreword by H Roger Grant 11 References edit a b Paape Charles W January 1949 Reviewed Work The Milwaukee Road Its First Hundred Years The Railroads of America Series III by August Derleth Pennsylvania History A Journal of Mid Atlantic Studies 16 1 71 72 JSTOR 27768992 Neu Irene Dorothy May 1949 Reviewed Works The Nickel Plate Road The History of a Great Railroad by Taylor Hampton The Milwaukee Road Its First Hundred Years by August Derleth The Journal of Economic History 9 1 76 77 doi 10 1017 s0022050700090458 JSTOR 2113733 Loehr Rodney C September 1948 Reviewed Work The Milwaukee Road Its First Hundred Years by August Derleth Minnesota History 29 3 251 252 JSTOR 20175405 Those First 100 Years PDF Milwaukee Magazine 6 7 April May 1948 Paul Barbara Dotts Paul Justus F 1999 Wisconsin History An Annotated Bibliography Westport CT Greenwood Publishing Group p 161 ISBN 0 3132 8271 4 Murray Tom 2005 The Milwaukee Road St Paul MN MBI p 159 ISBN 0 7603 2072 1 Schwieterman Joseph P 2004 When the Railroad Leaves Town American Communities in the Age of Rail Line Abandonment Western United States Kirksville Missouri Truman State University Press p 170 ISBN 978 1 931112 13 0 Sanders Craig 2003 Limiteds Locals and Expresses in Indiana 1838 1971 Bloomington Indiana Indiana University Press p 267 ISBN 978 0 253 34216 4 Hiner Matt Fall Winter 2002 Reviewed Work Milwaukee Road Its First 100 Years by August Derleth Railroad History 187 137 138 JSTOR 43524188 Getting Public Relations Value From a Centennial PDF Railway Age 64 November 1950 The Milwaukee Road University of Iowa Press 2002 Retrieved 21 June 2015 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Milwaukee Road Its First Hundred Years amp oldid 1170829154, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
