Transportation to the Territories

The federal government and the railroads worked together to connect the East coast to the West coast.  Wagon trains were good - but very susceptible to weather and Indian attacks, etc.  The railroads took care of most of that, could carry cargo for homesteaders and saloons and trading posts, and settlers didn't have to walk 3,000 miles in order to save the livestock for pulling the wagons.

So the federal government gave land grants to almost every railroad I'VE ever heard of being built in America!  The railroads then used the land as collateral to borrow money to buy rails and trains and to hire construction crews.  The Federal government also gave every other "section" of land to homesteaders.

A "section," according the our Public Land Survey System, is equal to one square mile and contains 640 acres.  By 1832, 40 acres became the smallest area that could be acquired.  After the Civil War, former slaves, forever freed in America by the 13th Amendment, were given a quarter-quarter section and a mule, hence the phrase "40 acres and a mule."  Have you ever heard someone say "out on the back 40?"  Same source: a quarter-quarter section of land.  Frontier surveyors sometimes (often) had a shaky grasp of mathematics and had to work feverishly to keep up with land-rushers.  Also, dividing up the "section" of 640 acres was much, much easier than any other quantity.

But, back to the railroads...

For the Dakotas, the success of the Northern Pacific and the Great Northern railroads was due to the abundant agriculture and fast settlement of the Red River Valley along the Minnesota state line between 1871 and 1890.  Major development of the Dakota Territory took place during these years. 

The Great Northern BOUGHT its land from the federal government, operated offices in Germany and the Scandinavian countries to promote and resell its lands, and brought European settlers over at low cost.  I've heard, "Build it and they will come."  Guess the Great Northern believed in it!

Now, there was competition between the railroad moguls.  This battle was a blessing to the soon to be state of North Dakota.  As they battled to control access, nearly 500 miles of new track and more than 50 new town sites were created in just a single year.  Many of the towns were never settled though and later abandoned completely - but not from lack of trying by the Great Northern and Soo Line railroads...

Lest you get too romantic about train travel back then, think about no heat or air conditioning, open windows (if there were windows at all), and soot and cinders, sand and dirt blowing in on you.  There was no restaurant car so you had to pack your food.  (At least in a wagon train you could stop and cook up something - and shoot some game TO cook!)  And I suppose they had a "chamber pot" somewhere if you had to go, but I can't imagine a lady with all those skirts trying to use one on a rocking, tossing, bumping train...  Whew!  I'm exhausted just thinking about it all!