Northern Pacific Railroad Collection

The great rival adverting shows to "boom up" stocks, 1883
1575221 The great rival adverting shows to "boom up" stocks, 1883; (add.info.: The great rival adverting shows to "boom up" stocks by Bernard Gillam, 1856-1896)

American political cartoons (litho)
7201872 American political cartoons (litho) by American School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: American political cartoons)

Railroad Construction Crew, 1886 (b / w photo)
PNP246917 Railroad Construction Crew, 1886 (b/w photo) by American Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; Peter Newark American Pictures; American, out of copyright

Railroad trestle over the Mississippi River in Minnesota
Northern Pacific Railroad bridge over the Mississippi River at Brainerd, Minnesota, 1871. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. Aerial view of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Lithograph by Henry Wellge, 1904

MONTANA: RAILROAD, c1890. The Northern Pacific Railroad at Rocky Canyon in Montana. Photograph, c1890

THOMAS FLETCHER OAKES (1843-1919). American railroad executive, president of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Engraving, American, 1890

EMIGRANT COACH CAR, 1886. The Modern Ship of the Plains. The emigrant coach on a west-bound Northern Pacific express train passing through the Dakota Territory

Final spike in the northern transcontinental railroad, Montana
Completion of the northern transcontinental railroad from Minnesota to the Pacific coast. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

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In the late 19th century, the Northern Pacific Railroad (NPRR) transformed the American landscape with its expansive reach from the Great Plains to the Pacific Northwest. This era was vividly captured in political cartoons, lithographs, and photographs. The NPRR construction crew, depicted in an 1886 black and white photo, toiled tirelessly to lay tracks over formidable terrains, such as the Mississippi River in Minnesota, where a railroad trestle stands as a testament to their engineering prowess. Thomas Fletcher Oakes, a visionary railroad executive, oversaw the NPRR's expansion, leading to the completion of the transcontinental railroad in Montana. This monumental achievement was symbolized by the final spike driven into the ground during the grand ceremony. Meanwhile, emigrants traveling westward relied on the comfort and safety of the emigrant coach cars, affectionately known as the 'Modern Ship of the Plains.' These cars, shown in a wood engraving from 1886, provided a vital link in the journey westward for countless settlers. As the NPRR continued to expand, it opened up new territories, including the breathtaking landscapes of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, as seen in this aerial view. The railroad's impact on American history is undeniable, shaping transportation, commerce, and settlement patterns for generations to come.