Railways in the United States. 1870
(From Scribner's Statistical Atlas.)
Railway Mileage by States, 1870.
| Rank | State | Miles | ||||||
| 41 | Dak. | 65 | » | |||||
| 40 | R.I. | 136 | » | |||||
| 39 | Colo. | 157 | »» | |||||
| 38 | Oreg. | 159 | »» | |||||
| 37 | Del. | 197 | »» | |||||
| 36 | Ark. | 256 | »»» | |||||
| 35 | Utah | 257 | »»» | |||||
| 34 | W. Va. | 387 | »»»» | 1,000 Miles | ||||
| 33 | Fla. | 446 | »»»» | |||||
| 32 | La. | 450 | »»»» | |||||
| 31 | Wyo. | 459 | »»»» | |||||
| 30 | Nev. | 593 | »»»»» | |||||
| 29 | Vt. | 614 | »»»»» | |||||
| 28 | *Md. | 671 | »»»»»» | |||||
| 27 | Nebr. | 705 | »»»»»»» | |||||
| 26 | Tex. | 711 | »»»»»»» | 2,000 | ||||
| 25 | N.H. | 736 | »»»»»»» | |||||
| 24 | Conn. | 742 | »»»»»»» | |||||
| 23 | Me. | 786 | »»»»»»» | 3,000 | ||||
| 22 | Cal. | 925 | »»»»»»»» | |||||
| 21 | Miss. | 990 | »»»»»»»» | |||||
| 20 | Ky. | 1,017 | »»»»»»»» | |||||
| 19 | Minn. | 1,092 | »»»»»»»» | » | ||||
| 18 | N.J. | 1,125 | »»»»»»»» | » | 4,000 | |||
| 17 | S.C. | 1,139 | »»»»»»»» | » | ||||
| 16 | Ala. | 1,157 | »»»»»»»» | »» | ||||
| 15 | N.C. | 1,178 | »»»»»»»» | »» | ||||
| 14 | Mass. | 1,480 | »»»»»»»» | »»» | 5,000 | |||
| 13 | Va. | 1,488 | »»»»»»»» | »»»» | ||||
| 12 | Tenn. | 1,492 | »»»»»»»» | »»»» | ||||
| 11 | Kans. | 1,501 | »»»»»»»» | »»»» | ||||
| 10 | Wis. | 1,525 | »»»»»»»» | »»»»» | ||||
| 9 | Mich. | 1,638 | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»» | ||||
| 8 | Ga. | 1,845 | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»» | ||||
| 7 | Mo. | 2,000 | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»» | ||||
| 6 | Iowa | 2,683 | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»» | |||
| 5 | Ind. | 3,177 | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»»» | »» | ||
| 4 | Ohio | 3,538 | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»»» | »»»»» | ||
| 3 | N.Y. | 3,924 | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»» | ||
| 2 | Pa. | 4,658 | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»» | |
| 1 | Ill. | 4,823 | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»»» | »»»»»»» | |
* Includes District of Columbia.
In 1850 Chicago had one short road. In 1860 she had several main lines, reaching hundreds of miles.—east, west, north, and south. In 1850, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois were open fields. In 1860 they were crossed and recrossed many times A similar change had taken place in the south east. The 1860 map marks the condition at the breaking out of the Civil War.—In 1870 there does not appear to have been much change except in the north-west, and the completion of the first Pacific line, and yet there were 22,296 more miles than in 1860, nearly 700 miles more than the 1850–1860 growth, but being spread over a wider area it does not appear as clearly. A little careful study shows that many States had added considerably to their mileage.—The names in the maps are given mainly to mark terminal points.—While the map locates the mileage, the chart at the left accurately measures and compares it State by State.
Before turning to the 1880 map, let the eye go carefully over the 1870 lines, that the comparison may be the more properly made.
Railways in the United States. 1880