The Pacific Northwest: “Most people are captivated and captured on their first trip”

This is Chapter 5 of the virtual exhibition “Promotion and Transformation of Landscapes along the CB&Q Railroad” by environmental historian Eric D. Olmanson. The chapter presents a selection of covers from CB&Q brochures that illustrate a certain vision of the Pacific Northwest.

Promotion and Transformation of Landscapes along the CB&Q Railroad

This virtual exhibition shows some of the many ways railroads reshaped landscapes of the American West between 1847 and 1965.

This version 2, published in 2020, includes minor updates to the original 2011 virtual exhibition (view PDF here) and applies the Environment & Society Portal’s responsive layout.

Eric Olmanson

About the author

Olmanson, Eric

University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Eric Olmanson studied geography and environmental history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After completing his PhD in 2000 he served as an institutional historian until 2008. Since then he has been a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has worked on various research and writing projects. His first book, The Future City on the Inland Sea: A History of Imaginative Geographies of Lake Superior, was published by Ohio University Press in 2007. It won the Great Lakes American Studies Association and Ohio University Press book award and was awarded the J. B. Jackson Prize by the Association of American Geographers. He is currently writing a book about the American Medical Center for Burma, 1945–1965.

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The CB&Q, Buffalo Bill, and the Development of Wyoming

This is Chapter 4 of the virtual exhibition “Promotion and Transformation of Landscapes along the CB&Q Railroad” by environmental historian Eric D. Olmanson. The chapter focuses on “Buffalo Bill” William Cody and the development of Wyoming.

Promotion and Transformation of Landscapes along the CB&Q Railroad

This virtual exhibition shows some of the many ways railroads reshaped landscapes of the American West between 1847 and 1965.

This version 2, published in 2020, includes minor updates to the original 2011 virtual exhibition (view PDF here) and applies the Environment & Society Portal’s responsive layout.

Eric Olmanson

About the author

Olmanson, Eric

University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Eric Olmanson studied geography and environmental history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After completing his PhD in 2000 he served as an institutional historian until 2008. Since then he has been a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has worked on various research and writing projects. His first book, The Future City on the Inland Sea: A History of Imaginative Geographies of Lake Superior, was published by Ohio University Press in 2007. It won the Great Lakes American Studies Association and Ohio University Press book award and was awarded the J. B. Jackson Prize by the Association of American Geographers. He is currently writing a book about the American Medical Center for Burma, 1945–1965.

Browse the exhibition

“Room eno’ for all”: Promotion of Settlement in Iowa and Nebraska

This is Chapter 3 is of the virtual exhibition “Promotion and Transformation of Landscapes along the CB&Q Railroad” and focuses on the Burlington’s promotion of settlement in Iowa and Nebraska.

Promotion and Transformation of Landscapes along the CB&Q Railroad

This virtual exhibition shows some of the many ways railroads reshaped landscapes of the American West between 1847 and 1965.

This version 2, published in 2020, includes minor updates to the original 2011 virtual exhibition (view PDF here) and applies the Environment & Society Portal’s responsive layout.

Eric Olmanson

About the author

Olmanson, Eric

University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Eric Olmanson studied geography and environmental history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After completing his PhD in 2000 he served as an institutional historian until 2008. Since then he has been a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has worked on various research and writing projects. His first book, The Future City on the Inland Sea: A History of Imaginative Geographies of Lake Superior, was published by Ohio University Press in 2007. It won the Great Lakes American Studies Association and Ohio University Press book award and was awarded the J. B. Jackson Prize by the Association of American Geographers. He is currently writing a book about the American Medical Center for Burma, 1945–1965.

Browse the exhibition

US Government Land Grants: “A pleasure to break the wild prairie”

This is Chapter 2 of the virtual exhibition “Promotion and Transformation of Landscapes along the CB&Q Railroad” by environmental historian Eric D. Olmanson. The chapter discusses the impact of US land grants for railroad and settlement development especially in the states of Missouri and Nebraska.

Promotion and Transformation of Landscapes along the CB&Q Railroad

This virtual exhibition shows some of the many ways railroads reshaped landscapes of the American West between 1847 and 1965.

This version 2, published in 2020, includes minor updates to the original 2011 virtual exhibition (view PDF here) and applies the Environment & Society Portal’s responsive layout.

Eric Olmanson

About the author

Olmanson, Eric

University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Eric Olmanson studied geography and environmental history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After completing his PhD in 2000 he served as an institutional historian until 2008. Since then he has been a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has worked on various research and writing projects. His first book, The Future City on the Inland Sea: A History of Imaginative Geographies of Lake Superior, was published by Ohio University Press in 2007. It won the Great Lakes American Studies Association and Ohio University Press book award and was awarded the J. B. Jackson Prize by the Association of American Geographers. He is currently writing a book about the American Medical Center for Burma, 1945–1965.

Browse the exhibition

“The sun will be requested to rise and set by railroad time”

This is Chapter 1 of the virtual exhibition “Promotion and Transformation of Landscapes along the CB&Q Railroad” by environmental historian Eric D. Olmanson. It includes the story of how the Standard Time System was adopted in the US.

Promotion and Transformation of Landscapes along the CB&Q Railroad

This virtual exhibition shows some of the many ways railroads reshaped landscapes of the American West between 1847 and 1965.

This version 2, published in 2020, includes minor updates to the original 2011 virtual exhibition (view PDF here) and applies the Environment & Society Portal’s responsive layout.

Eric Olmanson

About the author

Olmanson, Eric

University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Eric Olmanson studied geography and environmental history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After completing his PhD in 2000 he served as an institutional historian until 2008. Since then he has been a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has worked on various research and writing projects. His first book, The Future City on the Inland Sea: A History of Imaginative Geographies of Lake Superior, was published by Ohio University Press in 2007. It won the Great Lakes American Studies Association and Ohio University Press book award and was awarded the J. B. Jackson Prize by the Association of American Geographers. He is currently writing a book about the American Medical Center for Burma, 1945–1965.

Browse the exhibition

Introduction: “Quite a chapter in the history of the West”

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad played an important role in the transformation of settlement, agriculture, commerce, and recreation in North America. This is the introductory chapter of the virtual exhibition “Promotion and Transformation of Landscapes along the CB&Q Railroad” by environmental historian Eric D. Olmanson.

Promotion and Transformation of Landscapes along the CB&Q Railroad

This virtual exhibition shows some of the many ways railroads reshaped landscapes of the American West between 1847 and 1965.

This version 2, published in 2020, includes minor updates to the original 2011 virtual exhibition (view PDF here) and applies the Environment & Society Portal’s responsive layout.

Eric Olmanson

About the author

Olmanson, Eric

University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Eric Olmanson studied geography and environmental history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After completing his PhD in 2000 he served as an institutional historian until 2008. Since then he has been a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has worked on various research and writing projects. His first book, The Future City on the Inland Sea: A History of Imaginative Geographies of Lake Superior, was published by Ohio University Press in 2007. It won the Great Lakes American Studies Association and Ohio University Press book award and was awarded the J. B. Jackson Prize by the Association of American Geographers. He is currently writing a book about the American Medical Center for Burma, 1945–1965.