The Chicago & Alton Railroad

"The first railroad to connect the Mississippi River with the Great Lakes, the Chicago & Alton Railroad played a key role in the economic development of the Midwest. From humble beginnings in 1847 as transport for farm produce, it grew to link three key midwestern cities - Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City - and set the standard for efficient service and luxurious passenger travel.". "Illustrated with eighty photographs, many of them never before published, The Chicago & Alton Railroad is the first complete history of one of America's most famous small railroads."--BOOK JACKET.