The North Carolina Railroad, 1849-1871 and the Modernization of North Carolina (Fred W. Morrison Series in Southern Studies)

Chapel Hill, NC, U.S.A.: University of North Carolina Press, 1991. Book. New. Hardcover. First Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Allen W. Trelease, The North Carolina Railroad, 1849-1871. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1991. First edition. Hard cover binding, xvi, 486 p. : ill. , maps. The North Carolina Railroad, running from Goldsboro west to Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte, was a major force in the growth that transformed the Rip Van Winkle State in the last half of the 19th century. Constructed chiefly with $3 million in state funds, the 223-mile railroad was North Carolina's longest road, largest business corporation, and leading source of revenue during the years it operated independently, from 1849 to 1871. In telling the story of those years, Allen Trelease graphically shows how the coming of the iron horse shattered the isolation of many sections of the state, largely creating the Piedmont Crescent, and thus led to the modernization of North Carolina. The book covers all aspects of the NCRR during this time, including its chartering and construction, roadbed, rolling stock, and other physical structures. The book is extensively footnoted. New in new dust jacket, still in shrinkwrap..