Homes for the industrious in the garden state of the West: The Illinois Central Railroad's role in the economic, environmental, and agricultural development of Illinois, 1850-1861
Date
2022-08
Authors
Daly, Aiden Thomas
Major Professor
Advisor
Bremer, Jeff
Cordery, Simon
Rosenbloom, Joshua
Committee Member
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Abstract
Consisting of over 700 miles of track, the Illinois Central Railroad formed the backbone of Illinois’s transportation network in the mid to late nineteenth century. Running through the heart of the state, the railroad connected previously isolated rural communities to industrializing markets. The federal government provided financial support for construction through the Land Grant Act of 1850, leaving the Illinois Central Railroad Company with the responsibility to distribute over two million acres of land. Although this land had previously been considered undesirable, market access provided opportunities for settlers to establish economically viable farms and businesses. These new opportunities brought increased settlement to Illinois, expanding the agricultural industry of the largely agrarian state, modifying the state’s environment for sale in industrial markets.
Existing scholarship on the internal colonization of Illinois places agency in industrial actors within Chicago, limiting the role of the Illinois Central to its land policy and its interactions with farmers. This work seeks to examine the distinct actors in the construction of the railroad, along with their relationships with agriculture and the environment as the economy of Illinois developed in the mid-nineteenth century. The expectations of the business the railroad would bring to Illinois fueled land speculation and population migration, as the Company supported the establishment and expansion of towns and businesses along the road. The Illinois Central Railroad influenced agriculture by enabling rural communities to participate in interregional trade, while instituting policies intended to keep farmers financially solvent during periods of economic downturn. The Illinois Central Railroad provided a consistent, affordable transportation network, fueling economic development and settlement in Illinois, while allowing farmers to profitably participate in interregional trade through connection with Chicago.
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