The Southern Pacific, 1901-1985

Donovan L. Hofsommer

Texas A&M University Press, 1986 - History - 373 pages

Don Hofsommer chronicles the twentieth-century history of a transportation giant. Here is a story of divestiture and merger, Sunset Route, and Prosperity Special. " . . . a treasure house of information about the Southern Pacific Company . . . . This book is a joy to read."--Richard C. Overton, from the Foreword

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The Southern Pacific, 1901-1985

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In 1901 E. H. Harriman took over the Southern Pacific Company and led it to preeminence among American corpora tions; eight decades later a struggling SP merged with its long-time rival, San ta Fe ...

Contents

• Promontory Prelude: 3
• Enter Edward Henry Harriman: 9
• The Napoleon of Railroading: 20
• Trump Cards: 32
• The WideAwake West: 51
• Unmerger: 78
• The Roaring Twenties: 90
• Signal Masts and 2102S: 107
• The Dark Decade: 118
• The Dark Decade Ended: 133
• The Texas sf New Orleans Railroad: 158
• The St Louis Southwestern Railway: 177
• Its Finest Hour: 190
• Into a Bright Future: 208
• The Russell Years: 225
• The New Standard Railroad of the World?: 251
• New Directions: 276
• Eye of the Storm: 293
• Denouement?: 319
• Notes: 325
• B1bliography: 351
• Index: 365

About the author

In writing this corporate history, DON L. HOFFSOMMER had full access to corporate archives and conducted interviews with dozens of present and past company officers. He is the author of several books and many articles on other railroads.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Southern Pacific, 1901-1985
• Author: Donovan L. Hofsommer
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Texas A&M University Press, 1986
• ISBN: 1603441271, 9781603441278
• Length: 373 pages
• Subjects: History / United States / General; Transportation / Railroads / History