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The Resource A Missouri railroad pioneer : the life of Louis Houck, Joel P. Rhodes

A Missouri railroad pioneer : the life of Louis Houck, Joel P. Rhodes

Creator
Contributor
Summary
"Lawyer and journalist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Louis Houck is often called the 2Father of Southeast Missouri3 because he brought the railroad to the region and opened this backwater area to industrialization and modernization. Although Houck{u2019}s name is little known today outside Missouri, Joel Rhodes shows how his story has relevance for both the state and the nation. In this new biography, Rhodes presents a more complete picture of Houck than has ever been available: reviewing his life from his German immigrant roots, considering his career from both social and political perspectives, and grounding the story in both state and national history. He especially tells how, from 1880 to the 1920s, this self-taught railroader constructed a network of five hundred miles of track through the wilderness of wetlands known as 2Swampeast Missouri3{u2014}and how these 2Houck Roads3 provided a boost for population, agriculture, lumbering, and commerce that transformed Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area. Rhodes discusses how Houck fits into the era of economic individualism{u2014}a time when men with little formal training shaped modern industry{u2014}and also gives voice to Houck{u2019}s critics and shows that he was not always an easy man to work with. In telling the story of his railroading enterprise, Rhodes chronicles Houck{u2019}s battle with the Jay Gould railroad empire and offers key insight into the development of America{u2019}s railway system, from the cutthroat practices of ruthless entrepreneurs to the often-comic ineptness of start-up rail lines. More than simply a biography of a business entrepreneur, the book tells how Houck not only developed the region economically but also followed the lead of Andrew Carnegie by making art, culture, and formal education available to all social classes. Houck also served for thirty-six years as president of the Board of Regents of Southeast Missouri State Teacher{u2019}s College, and as a self-taught historian he wrote the first comprehensive accounts of Missouri{u2019}s territorial period. A Missouri Railroad Pioneer chronicles a multifaceted career that transformed a region. Solidly researched, this lively narrative also offers an entertaining read for anyone interested in Missouri history."--Publishers website
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
x, 298 pages
Isbn
9780826217981
Instance
Label
A Missouri railroad pioneer : the life of Louis Houck
Title
A Missouri railroad pioneer
Title remainder
the life of Louis Houck
Statement of responsibility
Joel P. Rhodes
Creator
Contributor
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
"Lawyer and journalist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Louis Houck is often called the 2Father of Southeast Missouri3 because he brought the railroad to the region and opened this backwater area to industrialization and modernization. Although Houck{u2019}s name is little known today outside Missouri, Joel Rhodes shows how his story has relevance for both the state and the nation. In this new biography, Rhodes presents a more complete picture of Houck than has ever been available: reviewing his life from his German immigrant roots, considering his career from both social and political perspectives, and grounding the story in both state and national history. He especially tells how, from 1880 to the 1920s, this self-taught railroader constructed a network of five hundred miles of track through the wilderness of wetlands known as 2Swampeast Missouri3{u2014}and how these 2Houck Roads3 provided a boost for population, agriculture, lumbering, and commerce that transformed Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area. Rhodes discusses how Houck fits into the era of economic individualism{u2014}a time when men with little formal training shaped modern industry{u2014}and also gives voice to Houck{u2019}s critics and shows that he was not always an easy man to work with. In telling the story of his railroading enterprise, Rhodes chronicles Houck{u2019}s battle with the Jay Gould railroad empire and offers key insight into the development of America{u2019}s railway system, from the cutthroat practices of ruthless entrepreneurs to the often-comic ineptness of start-up rail lines. More than simply a biography of a business entrepreneur, the book tells how Houck not only developed the region economically but also followed the lead of Andrew Carnegie by making art, culture, and formal education available to all social classes. Houck also served for thirty-six years as president of the Board of Regents of Southeast Missouri State Teacher{u2019}s College, and as a self-taught historian he wrote the first comprehensive accounts of Missouri{u2019}s territorial period. A Missouri Railroad Pioneer chronicles a multifaceted career that transformed a region. Solidly researched, this lively narrative also offers an entertaining read for anyone interested in Missouri history."--Publishers website
Biography type
individual biography
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorDate
1967-
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Rhodes, Joel P.
Dewey number
  • 977.8/03092
  • B
Government publication
government publication of a state province territory dependency etc
Index
index present
LC call number
F466.H86
LC item number
R48 2008
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorName
University of Missouri Press
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Houck, Louis
  • Southeast Missouri State University
  • Pioneers
  • German Americans
  • Businessmen
  • Railroads
  • Historians
  • Cape Girardeau (Mo.)
Label
A Missouri railroad pioneer : the life of Louis Houck, Joel P. Rhodes
Instantiates
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Control code
182851115
Dimensions
24 cm
Extent
x, 298 pages
Isbn
9780826217981
Isbn Type
(alk. paper)
Lccn
2007052626
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations, map
System control number
(OCoLC)182851115
Label
A Missouri railroad pioneer : the life of Louis Houck, Joel P. Rhodes
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Control code
182851115
Dimensions
24 cm
Extent
x, 298 pages
Isbn
9780826217981
Isbn Type
(alk. paper)
Lccn
2007052626
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations, map
System control number
(OCoLC)182851115

Subject

Genre

Library Locations

    • Ellis LibraryBorrow it
      1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, MO, 65201, US
      38.944491 -92.326012
    • Journalism LibraryBorrow it
      102 Reynolds Jrnlism Institute, Columbia, MO, 65211, US
      38.947290 -92.328025

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