Great Northern Railway: A History

by Ralph Willard Hidy, Roy V. Scott (Contributor), Don L. Hofsommer (Contributor)

Written by historians at Harvard Business School, Mississippi State U., and St. Cloud State U. (Minn.), this history details the development and day- to-day affairs of this powerful business, and the careers of the main figures instrumental in its operation. This definitive work, first published by

Genres: Railways

812 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

A specialist in the history of modern business, Ralph Willard Hidy received an A.B. in history from Miami University in 1926, an M.A. from Clark University in 1928, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1935. Throughout his long career as a historian, Hidy worked at such respected institutions as Norwich University (1928-1930), Wheaton College (1932-1947), New York University (1950-1957), and Harvard University (1957-1971).

Reviews

[Ty Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had almost forgotten how laborious it was to read some parts of railroad history since I have no back-ground in stocks, bonds and other forms of finance. However, this volume was written well enough that the details of the financial alchemy did not prevent me from reading and enjoying this effort.

The authors did a through job of touching on the varied aspects that made this particular railroad a major part of the local society.

[M.J. Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the complete history of the railway that built the economy of the Pacific Northwest and the Mesabi Range of northern Minnesota! It is well-written by Scott and Hofsommer, who picked up the book project following the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Hidy, who conceived this book. I enjoyed reading the history of this BN component, and recommend it to any railfan or BN enthusiast!