Myth of a Progressive Reform: Railroad Regulation in Wisconsin, 1903-1910

Historians of the progressive movement have often assumed that reform legislation automatically brought about the intended change and thus have worked on passing laws. This study takes a different approach. It traces the evolution of a progressive reform - railroad regulation - from its origins through its adoption by self-conscious reformers, its institutionalization as a law, and its early administration by the railroad commission of Wisconsin from June, 1905 through December 1910. It evaluates the shifting roles of interested Wisconsin groups and assesses the concrete effects of the reform crusade.