What a thoughtful and thought provoking piece. I grew up in rural Minnesota and the role of transportation on communities can be seen clearly. Towns along the interstate and railroad lines grew, while those off the beaten path faltered. Every little farming community has a granary near the railroad tracks, and when the trains stopped coming, the town declined.
You’ve got me wanting to look for those lost and found stories. They must be there… thanks!
I should add, as an economic developer, I know the effects. Companies want to be within 3 miles of a 4-lane. But, I don't think we really appreciate the effects in our everyday lives, positively or negatively. We really don't typically appreciate the effects looking back at history. Here, roads were approved to be built years before we became a county or state.
This touches so many of my experiences, I could write a comment longer than your post. I worked on the archaeological mitigation project where 36 goes over the Illinois River in Illinois. Zoom in on google maps just west of the Illinois River. It shows Napoleon Hollow. I spent the summer of 1980 there.
The change in transportation routes in Illinois between 1800 and 1850 was literally every couple years. Rafts, to Indian Trails to Buffalo Trails to canals, to Steamboats, to pike roads to gravel roads to Railroads, etc. The rate of change in transportation has not been surpassed during that 50 year period.
And yet we seem surprised today when a change in transportation somehow affects the communities. I really don't think we look at history very often as a way to see possible consequences of our new endeavors. It's sad in many ways.
I lived in Illinois for a brief time as a child. I remember my parents taking us to some river where they were building a bridge. We found geodes by the hundreds! I loved it. And I still have some of them!
What a thoughtful and thought provoking piece. I grew up in rural Minnesota and the role of transportation on communities can be seen clearly. Towns along the interstate and railroad lines grew, while those off the beaten path faltered. Every little farming community has a granary near the railroad tracks, and when the trains stopped coming, the town declined.
You’ve got me wanting to look for those lost and found stories. They must be there… thanks!
I should add, as an economic developer, I know the effects. Companies want to be within 3 miles of a 4-lane. But, I don't think we really appreciate the effects in our everyday lives, positively or negatively. We really don't typically appreciate the effects looking back at history. Here, roads were approved to be built years before we became a county or state.
This touches so many of my experiences, I could write a comment longer than your post. I worked on the archaeological mitigation project where 36 goes over the Illinois River in Illinois. Zoom in on google maps just west of the Illinois River. It shows Napoleon Hollow. I spent the summer of 1980 there.
The change in transportation routes in Illinois between 1800 and 1850 was literally every couple years. Rafts, to Indian Trails to Buffalo Trails to canals, to Steamboats, to pike roads to gravel roads to Railroads, etc. The rate of change in transportation has not been surpassed during that 50 year period.
And yet we seem surprised today when a change in transportation somehow affects the communities. I really don't think we look at history very often as a way to see possible consequences of our new endeavors. It's sad in many ways.
I lived in Illinois for a brief time as a child. I remember my parents taking us to some river where they were building a bridge. We found geodes by the hundreds! I loved it. And I still have some of them!
I recently did a piece on transportation too. It’s amazing how quickly things have changed in just 100 years. https://lettersfromlabelle.substack.com/p/manes-trains-and-automobiles