Transportation and Industry – Railroads come to Texas

Chapter 19 Section 2

I. Texans Demand Railroads

Before 1900 most people traveled by wagons and buggies.

Poor transportation slowed Texas’ development.

Farmers and Merchants could only market goods in nearby areas – not many opportunities to make profits.

A Network of Steel Connects Texas

Before the Civil War, only 400 miles of Railroad in Texas.

1872 – First Rail connections with other states made.

Towns paid railroads to build tracks in their cities.

A Network of Steel

State encouraged building through Land Grant Law of 1876:

16 sections (10,240 acres) of land given to rail company for every mile of track built.

32 million acres given until 1882.

T&P 610 – owned by TX State Railroad

A Network of Steel By 1900 10,000 miles of track in Texas.

Travel times across the state went from days or weeks to hours.

New towns built near railroads. Existing towns near railroads grew up. Towns located away or outside of railroads dried up.

Towns where rail lines met became center of business – Houston, Fort Worth, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio – grew into major cities.

Downtown Dallas, TX 1900 Downtown Ft. Worth, TX 1900

Improving Transportation

No State Road system existed in 1880s.

Every county built and maintained its own roads.

Most roads were unpaved and became mud pits, or were very dusty and dirty.

Improving Transportation More and more roads were built in 1880s

and 1890s.

Streetcars and trolley cars appeared in 1870s and by 1900, cars were starting to be seen in Texas.

Growing popularity of cars led state to improve roads.

Horse-Drawn Street Car

in Texas: late 1800s

Electric Trolley in San Angelo, TX