6/6/2009:
It was this date in 1872 that the first Northern Pacific steam locomotive chugged across the recently constructed bridge spanning the Red River.
North Dakota's rail network has proven instrumental to the state's growth. The railroads provided easy transportation for settlers and agricultural goods alike, and were often the impetuous for the development of new townships across the state.
While the initial rail line in June of 1872 consisted of only 200 miles of track, by statehood in 1889 North Dakota's rail mileage had risen to over 2000 miles. Poor harvests, physical barriers and economic woes eventually slowed construction, but around the turn of the century, construction once again picked up pace. By 1920, the state's rail system hit its peak, culminating in nearly 5,400 miles of rail; all serving as crucial links uniting Dakota's booming agricultural market with the rest of the American continent.
Dakota Datebook written by Lane Sunwall
Sources:
Engelhardt, Carroll. Gateway to the Northern Plains: Railroads and the Birth of Fargo and Moorhead. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2007.
Sandstrom, Dale V., Bruce Hagen, and Leo M. Reinbold, "North Dakota Railroads: The Centennial Story" http://www.psc.state.nd.us/commission/history/nd-railroads-centennial-story.pdf (accessed May 28, 2009).