Role of the Railroad Lesson Plan
In the mid to late 1800s, marketing opportunities were opened up for farmers as a result of the
expansion of railroad networks in the eastern United States. One such opportunity for Delaware farmers was the ability to grow perishables such as peaches and strawberries and have them shipped by rail from Delaware to northern markets in Wilmington, Philadelphia, and New York City. Compared to earlier forms of transport by wagon road and canal before the Civil War, railroad transport was about ten times cheaper and ten times faster. In 1860, railroads carried 3.2 billion ton-miles of freight. By 1900, that figure was 141 billion ton-miles - a stunning 44-fold increase.
(https://americanhistory.si.edu/america-on-the-move/essays/american-railroads)
Railroad depots became social hubs in many rural communities, functioning not just
as a means to ship or receive goods, but also as an important means of communication with neighboring communities and the rest of the country via the telegraph and U.S. mail. The historic Woodside Train Station at the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village is a prime example of a 19th century railroad depot which also served also as a telegraph station and post office (https://www.agriculturalmuseum.org/newpageb85c3d8).
Railroad Station Agent
Farmers brought corn, wheat, milk and other commodities, such as peaches, by wagon
to the Woodside Train Station where they were transported by locomotive powered by steam to urban markets in Wilmington, Philadelphia, New York City and Baltimore.
- Use this map to find the Woodside Train Station: https://www.loc.gov/item/98688454/.
- What is the name of the station that is to the south of the Woodside Train Station?
- What is the name of the station that is to the north of the Woodside Train Station?
- Which of the two train stations is closest to your home?
- Review this newspaper (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026837/1873-12-02/ed-1/seq-3/) to find the time table for the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad (PW&B). As Station Master at the Woodside Train Station, you need to:
- Identify the times that the train leaves the Woodside Station heading northward.
- Identify the times that the train leaves the Woodside Station heading southward.
Railway Mail Service
Railway post office history started with the desire to speed mail delivery. For many
years, mail delivery was by foot, horse-drawn wagon, horses (Pony Express) or riverboat. In the early 19th century, mail delivery was greatly improved by railroads. The first American railway post office was created in 1864.
In 1865, Ezekiel Cowgill became the town of Woodside’s first postmaster when a post
office was added to the small station. Ezekiel would pass the mail onto the train where the Railway Post Office (R.P.O.) clerks sorted and distributed the mail.
- Use this map, to find the Woodside Station mail stop: https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3831p.rr001920/. If you need help reading and navigating, try the “Grids” section at this link: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/map/. Now share with a friend the grid square in which you found Woodside Station.
- Take a look at the images of a railway mail car: https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibits/current/moving-the-mail/mail-by-rail/index.html.R.P.O.’s were required to sort 600 pieces of mail per hour. Do you think this is the sort of job you could do and would like?
Telegraph Operator
The Woodside Train Station also served as a telegraph station. The telegrapher
maintained communication between the train dispatcher and trains operating on the rail
system.
The electric telegraph was developed in the 1830s by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail.
Signals were transmitted by wire using pulses of electrical current to move an electromagnet. This electrical magnet moved a marker to produce written codes on a strip of paper. This led to “Morse code,” a signaling alphabet. In turn, the telegraph led to what is used today to communicate, for example, computers, the Internet, and text messaging!
● Watch this video about Morse Code: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy8BaMs_JuI.
● Try writing your own message in Morse Code. Use the alphabet chart below. A dot/circle is a short tap. A dash/rectangle is a long tap.
