Company, State, and Region: Three Approaches to Railroad History

Abstract

Railroad history has survived a near-death experience. Once at the leading edge of business history and the Chandlerian synthesis, this sub-discipline largely fell out of favor with academic audiences, becoming the province of the railfan. In recent years, however, a new generation of historians has reawakened interest in the railroads, often by adopting perspectives alien to the traditions of first-generation railroad history. A prolific Don Hofsommer has not only contributed to this reinvigoration of an academic discipline, he has also incorporated some of the best recent railway history into volumes targeted at amateur historians. Each book embodies a different approach to the construction of railroad history and although their level of relevance to academic historians varies considerably, they offer compelling insights into the diversity of approach and audience that characterizes modern railroad history. This variety reflects the