Prairie Railroad Town

Prairie Railroad Town

The Rock Island Railroad Shops at Horton, Kansas, 1887-1946

By I.E. Quastler

* This title is currently out of print. *
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ISBN: 094203564X

Horton, Kansas, was a classic American railroad town. For over half a century, Horton's prosperity depended on jobs provided by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway, especially in the large shops the company built there in 1887. Here, hundreds of men labored to build and maintain locomotives, passenger and freight cars and work equipment of all types. At its peak, the shops employed about 800 people. All this changed rapidly with the onset of the Great Depression, and in 1946 the shops were closed completely. Prairie Railroad Town recreates the days when Horton thrived along the rails of the mighty Rock Island line. The book features more than 150 historic photographs, most never before published. These images provide fascinating glimpses into an era when railroads dominated American transportation.

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Praise for this book:

"I.E. Quastler has created a work of historic beauty ... Quastler's prose is in the form of a good researcher, who dispels exaggerations and misinformation published by some newspapers during the rise and fall of the shops."

-- Michael Hooper,
Topeka Capital-Journal

"Prairie Railroad Town is well organized and tells a compelling story. I enjoyed reading the book and learning about turn of the century railroad shops. Even if you have no specific interest in the Rock Island, the book is worth purchasing for the photos alone."

-- Jason Midyette,
The Colorado Time-Table

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