Cowboys, Women, and Trains in the Old West by Reggi Allder

   Cowboys, Women, and Trains in the Old West by Reggi Allder

I love trains When I was a kid my family took a train to Los Angeles and then went on to Disneyland. We had a great time. On the train, my brother and I watched the view change and played with the other kids. It made for a wonderful trip. Since then, hubby and I have taken several short trips on vintage trains. However, I realize the reason for the railroad is the transportation of products throughout the country and that the passenger trains are only a small part of the business.

As a movie buff and a lover of cowboy movies, I wondered if there was any validity to the stories about cowboys taking cattle to the new railway towns for transport to the cities in the East. 

I did research and discovered that there was truth in that. Railroads in the West impacted the lives of cowboys. Some changes were positive and others were not. The cattle business thrived. But without the long cattle drives, a few of the cowboy's skills were no longer needed, so those men left. Other cowboys who had the desired skills flourished with the shorter drives. 

Newly built towns were set around the railroad yards. They provided general stores, hotels, saloons, and other amenities unavailable on the long trail drives.

I remember hearing that a horse and a train had a race. I couldn't verify that story, can you?

One fact that surprised me was women were allowed to work alongside with the men to build the railroads. 

The railroad allowed Americans to move westward. This opened jobs for men and women. Though still encouraged to be in the home, women wanting to work outside could do so with the railroad. In the late 1830s and 40s, telegraph lines expanded alongside new railroad tracks. This was a new profession for women as well as men. Early pioneer women telegraphers were still the exception rather than the rule, but they blazed new opportunities for women to follow.

 Sara George Bagley was the first telegraph operator in 1846.

 Elizabeth Cogley (1833-1922) was a telegrapher for the Pennsylvania Railroad, 1856-1900

According to author Virginia Penney, to be a telegrapher you must be well read, know how to spell, and to be able to learn Morse code. Virginia Penney’s book was written in 1870  and entitled How Women Can Make Money, a good lady telegraphist could make between $300 and $500 a year. 

 Iron Women: The Ladies Who Helped Build the Railroads by Chris Enss

I haven't read this book, but it looks interesting to me.

If you love small towns, second chances and cowboys, check out my novels in the Sierra Creek Series. The books Her Country Heart and His Country Heart book 1 and 2 of 4 in the series.
Discover the Dangerous Series if you want romantic suspense. Dangerous Web is book 1 in the Series. All on Amazon. Dangerous Moves is coming soon. Watch for it.

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Thanks for stopping by, Reggi Allder