Profiting from the Plains looks at two inextricably linked historical movements in the United States: the westward expansion of the great Northern Railway and the agricultural development of the northern plains. Claire Strom explores the persistent, idiosyncratic attempts by the Great Northern to boost agricultural production along its rail routes from St. Paul to Seattle between 1878 and 1917. Lacking a federal land grant, the Great Northern could not make money through land sales like other railways. It had to rely on haulage to make a profit, and the greatest potential for increasing haulage lay in farming. The energetic and charismatic owner of the Great Northern Railway, James J. Hill, spearheaded most of the initiatives undertaken by his corporation to boost agricultural production. He tried, often unsuccessfully, to persuade farmers of the profitability of his methods, which were largely based on his personal farming experience. When Hill’s initial efforts to increase haulage failed, he shifted his focus to working with outside agencies and institutions, often providing them with the funding to pursue projects he hoped would profit his railroad. At the time, state and federal agencies were also promoting agricultural development through irrigation, conservation, and dryland farming, but their agendas often clashed with those of the Great Northern Railway. Because Hill failed to grasp the extent to which politicians’ goals differed from those of the railroad, his use of federal expertise to promote agricultural change often backfired. But despite these obstacles, the railroad magnate ironically remained among the last defenders of the small-scale farmer modeled on Jeffersonian idealism. This fascinating story of railroad politics and development ties into themes of corporate and federal sponsorship, which are increasingly recognized as fundamental to western history. As the first scholarly examination of James J. Hill’s agricultural enterprises, Profiting from the Plains makes an important contribution to the biography of the popular and controversial Hill, as well as to western and environmental history.

Profiting from the Plains: The Great Northern Railway and Corporate Development of the American West

Business & Money

Strom, Claire

Economics

Univ of Washington Pr

This edited volume is mainly designed for undergraduates. It explores how to utilize a wide variety of primary sources in researching United States history. The articles are written by historians with considerable expertise, who discuss the possible benefits and potential pitfalls in using sources as disparate as monuments, recipes, oral histories, and maps. The book is recommended for research seminars and methods courses, generally, as well as classes specifically focused on environmental, rural, agricultural, or social history.

Using Diverse Primary Resources to Research US History: Essays from the Agricultural History Society

History

Americas

Bowkers

This first full-length study of the cattle tick eradication program in the United States offers a new perspective on the fate of the yeomanry in the twentieth-century South during a period when state and federal governments were both increasing and centralizing their authority. As Claire Strom relates the power struggles that complicated efforts to wipe out the Boophilus tick, she explains the motivations and concerns of each group involved, including large- and small-scale cattle farmers, scientists, and officials at all levels of government.In the remote rural South―such as the piney woods of south Georgia and north Florida―resistance to mandatory treatment of cattle was unusually strong and sometimes violent. Cattle often ranged free, and their owners raised them mostly for local use rather than faraway markets. Cattle farmers in such areas, shows Strom, perceived a double threat in tick eradication mandates. In addition to their added costs, eradication schemes, with their top-down imposition of government expertise, were anathema to the yeomanry’s notions of liberty.Strom contextualizes her southern focus within the national scale of the cattle industry, discussing, for instance, the contentious place of cattle drives in American agricultural history. Because Mexico was the primary source of potential tick reinfestation, Strom examines the political and environmental history of the Rio Grande, giving the book a transnational perspective. Debates about the political and economic culture of small farmers have tended to focus on earlier periods in American history. Here Strom shows that pockets of yeoman culture survived into the twentieth century and that these communities had the power to block (if only temporarily) the expansion of the American state.

Making Catfish Bait out of Government Boys: The Fight against Cattle Ticks and the Transformation of the Yeoman South (Environmental History and the American South)

Industries

University of Georgia Press

This first full-length study of the cattle tick eradication program in the United States offers a new perspective on the fate of the yeomanry in the twentieth-century South during a period when state and federal governments were both increasing and centralizing their authority. As Claire Strom relates the power struggles that complicated efforts to wipe out the Boophilus tick, she explains the motivations and concerns of each group involved, including large- and small-scale cattle farmers, scientists, and officials at all levels of government. In the remote rural South―such as the piney woods of south Georgia and north Florida―resistance to mandatory treatment of cattle was unusually strong and sometimes violent. Cattle often ranged free, and their owners raised them mostly for local use rather than faraway markets. Cattle farmers in such areas, shows Strom, perceived a double threat in tick eradication mandates. In addition to their added costs, eradication schemes, with their top-down imposition of government expertise, were anathema to the yeomanry’s notions of liberty. Strom contextualizes her southern focus within the national scale of the cattle industry, discussing, for instance, the contentious place of cattle drives in American agricultural history. Because Mexico was the primary source of potential tick reinfestation, Strom examines the political and environmental history of the Rio Grande, giving the book a transnational perspective. Debates about the political and economic culture of small farmers have tended to focus on earlier periods in American history. Here Strom shows that pockets of yeoman culture survived into the twentieth century and that these communities had the power to block (if only temporarily) the expansion of the American state.

Established in 1872 when the Northern Pacific crossed the Red River from Moorhead, Fargo quickly became an important town. The combination of the railroad and the wheat boom created a flourishing frontier city in the 1870s. The railroads brought goods into Fargo for sale, and established it as the area's major retail, wholesale, and service center. From 1880 to 1940 Fargo grew consistently with substantial immigration. Many of the early city leaders were Yankees from states such as Maine, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois, as well as Canadians. European immigration before 1900 was predominantly from Scandinavia and Germany, but after 1900 it broadened to include other countries. These immigrants brought strong traditions with them that became evident in the religious and cultural life of the city.

Fargo, North Dakota: 1870-1940

Biographies & Memoirs

Danbom, David B.

Danborn, David B

Community & Culture

Arcadia Publishing Library Editions

Winter Park was founded in the 1880s as a balmy paradise for rich Northerners seeking to escape the tribulations of harsh winters or improve their health. The wealth involved in its foundation is still evident in the city's beautiful buildings, a planned African American neighborhood, and a preeminent liberal arts college. The community revolves around a series of picturesque lakes, offering visitors and residents alike many recreational opportunities. The large hotels, in conjunction with Park Avenue's shops, museums, and restaurants, provide many amenities in a lovely setting for visitors both past and present. Among the city's most notable attractions are the Morse Museum of American Art, founded in 1942, which houses the world's largest collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany's works and Rollins College, founded in 1885, which has become a vital part of the community, attracting vibrant personalities both as faculty members and students. One of its most famous alumni was Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.

Winter Park

Norris, Jim

Johnson, Danielle

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Strom, Claire. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Strom, Claire

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Strom, Claire. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Profiting from the Plains: The Great Northern Railway and Corporate Development of the American West

Using Diverse Primary Resources to Research US History: Essays from the Agricultural History Society

Making Catfish Bait out of Government Boys: The Fight against Cattle Ticks and the Transformation of the Yeoman South (Environmental History and the American South)

Making Catfish Bait out of Government Boys: The Fight against Cattle Ticks and the Transformation of the Yeoman South (Environmental History and the American South)

Fargo, North Dakota: 1870-1940

Winter Park