Richmond Chapter 7 The Development of the Railroads

This chapter was a much more brief overview of the rise and fall of railroads in Kansas. I found it particularly interesting that Miner made a brief mention of the railroad that used to go through my hometown, Iola.

This chapter would be a good one to give notes from. As an activity, I have a few suggestions. First, I would have students plot the railroads on a Kansas map. Next, I would have them compare the populations of certain towns before the railroads, at its height, and again today. From that, students can draw their own conclusions about the impact of the railroad on certain towns. 'What If' questions would be appropriate here also.