THE BIRTH OF THE RAILROADS

                  IN THE UNITED STATES

Gayle L. Sandstedt-Workman will speak on the history of the railroads in the early days of a young America.  She is a native of Omaha, Nebraska and came to Houston in 1976 via a job transfer.  One of her retirement projects was to concentrate on family research, which she has been doing for the past 15 years.  Gayle was on the board of directors of Clayton Library Friends, and has held various positions with the Houston Genealogical Form during her membership.

Gayle’s interest in railroads developed because of the stories her father told during her childhood.  He shared his impressions of the importance of the railroads to the boys of his day, and the part they played in his life.  As a young man in 1916, he was employed as a clerk accountant in Omaha’s office of the Chicago Northwestern Railroad.

Many a family Sunday afternoons was spent hiking on the railroad tracks along the Missouri River to Fort Crook Military Base (renamed during WWII as Offutt Air Force Bass) to hear the army band concert in the early evening.  The saying was that all of Omaha’s society could be found after church on Sunday carrying their picnic baskets to Fort Crook.  After the concerts, everyone rushed for the streetcar that ran from there back to South Omaha.

From April 26-29, 1939, Gayle had a thrilling experience of taking part in the week-long celebration of the Union Pacific Railroad’s “GOLDEN SPIKE DAYS” held in Omaha.  Her aunt being an employee of the UPR allowed her the opportunity of attending the functions being given for the benefit of the employees and their families.

Railroads were not only a great necessity but were a strong backbone in building our country; they helped to decrease the mortality rate during migration to the West.  Trains were and still are classified as the romance of travel.  Trains offered us more than any other form of mass transportation will ever be able to provide.