Tracks Through Time: Michigan Railroads - History & Impact
Railroads were vital to Michigan's growth, fostering the settlement of new towns and the rise of many of the state's industries. The train forever changed the way people lived as fresh food could be shipped great distances and communication gaps between cities miles apart could be bridged.
Above all, the railroads broadened people’s view of the world and their place in it because, for the first time, people were now afforded a new freedom – the ability to be mobile. Trains allowed people to move more freely to find work, start a new life, or embrace the concept of traveling for pleasure.