Essay On What Impact Did Railroad Have On South Dakota

573 Words3 Pages

What Impact did Railroads Have on South Dakota South Dakota’s history with railroads is very interesting. The first area in South Dakota was owned by white settlers. They were hearing about how railroads were a faster way to send letters because there were no telephones in 1800s. South Dakota was settled in 1861(John). It was important in holding back the settlement of South Dakota. The outbreaks of Indian attacks that occurred in Iowa in 1857 and in Minnesota in 1862 spread into Dakota. Troubles with the Indians went on until the army went against them in Montana and western Dakota. The Civil War was also a series to settlement because many settlers were living in the East(Dennis Daugaard). During the Civil War the western forts …show more content…

There were droughts. Infestations of locusts ravaged the future state. Another barrier was they had no trees(Tom Hayes). With few exceptions trees were along the rivers and in the Black Hills and to the settlers coming from the wooded east, trees were extremely important for providing building materials, fuel, and fencing. The most important deterrent to the settlement of South Dakota was the lack transportation that could cheaply, expeditiously, and reliably haul bulky stuff like farm products, fuel, and building materials(Tom Hayes). True, steamboats began plying the upper Missouri River as early as 1831, but they were stopped by ice in winter and by low water in late summer and fall. The Missouri was known for its snags, sawyers, and sand bars, which made it extremely dangerous to …show more content…

They were capable of offering cheap, expeditious, and reliable transportation of bulk goods in large volumes all year round, and the railroad companies actively encouraged settlers to come to the region(Richard Franklin). By offering cheap and reliable transportation the railroads helped to overcome the niggardliness of Sotith Dakota's physical environment. To a region with few trees, they brought fuel, food, fencing, and building materials. In turn, they took the grains and livestock of the farmers to market at rates that were reasonable. The railroad commission report emphasized the great importance of the railroads to

Open Document