Ties, Rails, and Telegraph Wires

Railroads and Communities in Montana and the West by Dale Martin

Railroads brought more to Montana and the West than passengers and a fast way to get back to “civilization.” The coming of the “iron horse” invigorated existing towns, created new ones, and generated employment on the railroads and in the communities through which they passed. Ties, Rails, and Telegraph Wires provides a window into the lives of the laborers, engineers, firemen, conductors, water tank operators, station agents, telegraphers, and section crews, as well as the town folk and rural residents who came to count on the railroads for employment, transportation, shipping freight, sending mail, and more. Heavily illustrated with dozens of railroad-related historic photographs, the book includes stories about the railroads told by Western writers such as Ivan Doig, Mary Clearman Blue, and Alice Munro. Let Ties, Rails, and Telegraph Wires put a face and a place to “Waiting for a Train.”