Our Documents archive includes personal letters, newspaper articles, images, business documents and more. Documents are identified with a particular Topic, and are accessible through and used by our Views. This page shows users the most recently added and updated new documents in the collection. Our complete database search includes all documents and objects in the Railroads and the Making of Modern America collection from various archives and partners, public as well as private. The collection is refreshed and reindexed regularly to include new materials, usually at the beginning of every academic semester (August, December, May).
1854 | Book
An excerpt from Henry David Thoreau's Walden. The progress represented by the railroad presents a mixed legacy to the rural life Thoreau treasures.
September 1, 1854 | Letter
When cholera broke out among Irish workers at the Blue Ridge Tunnel, Claudius Crozet reported on the epidemic and the various problems on the project with contractors.
1859 | Illustration
Noteworthy for its marvelous illlustrations, this feature article portrays the joys of railroad travel.
1859 | Illustration
"Except for us" - sun coming out after a cloudy journey.
1859 | Illustration
1859 | Illustration
The artist envisions the lasting legacy of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
1859 | Illustration
A visual representation of the relationship between photographers and painters.
1859 | Illustration
Chivalry is part and parcel of the conductor's work.
1859 | Illustration
The plight of the tardy traveller is part and parcel of the narrative of travel.
1859 | Illustration
A key illustration from the article features artists and guests riding the engine.
1859 | Illustration
The characters encoutered along the rail journey are part of the artist's experience.
1859 | Illustration
American railroad progress is compared with the adoption of the technology in England.
September 10, 1859 | Illustration
This image from the September 10, 1859 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts a man dressed for a morning on the town.
September 10, 1859 | Illustration
This image from the September 10, 1859 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts a portion of the Illinois Central railroad depot at Chicago, Illinois. It illustrated an article entitled "The Great Graneries of Chicago," where it was noted "each of these immense buildings is capable of containing 700,000 bushels of wheat, and 225,000 can be received and stored in each of them in a single day."
October 9, 1859 | Illustration
This image from the October 9, 1859 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts a farewell exchange between a man and woman.
February 27, 1864 | Illustration
This image from the February 27, 1864 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts the interior of a Union hospital car during the American Civil War. See Woman's Work in the Civil War on this site for the recollections of a hospital train nurse.
February 27, 1864 | Illustration
This image from the February 27, 1864 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts a Union hospital train crossing a railway bridge on its run from Chattanooga to Nashville, Tennessee during the American Civil War. See Woman's Work in the Civil War on this site for the recollections of a hospital train nurse.
1868 | Book
Manuals of etiquette and behavior were incredibly popular during the 19th Century and covered every aspect of life from infancy to mourning. In this excerpt, some of the gendered expectations placed on a well-bred traveler are recounted in detail.
August 28, 1869 | Illustration
This image from the August 8, 1869 issue of Harper's Weekly shows the city of Omaha, Nebraska from the site of the Old Capitol building. Harper's Weekly and Frank Leslie's Magazine featured stories about highlights along the transcontinental route.
August 28, 1869 | Illustration
This image from the August 28, 1869 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts a Nebraska prairie fire near the Union Pacific railroad. Harper's Weekly and Frank Leslie's Magazine featured stories about highlights along the transcontinental route