The railroad holds an important place in the history of the United States. Iowa is no different, as many of the state’s communities would not be what they are today - let alone exist - if it were not for the railroad.

According to the Iowa Depart­ment of Transportation, rail trans­portation first came to Iowa in the late 1840s, and there were 655 miles of track by 1860. In 1867, the first railroad to fully traverse the state, from the Mississippi River to the Missouri River, was completed; and by 1870, there were 2,683 miles of track in operation...