Chapter 7
●
117
on America’s first sleeping car. More
than 300 railroad companies formed in
Pennsylvania. One company, the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, boughtmany of the smaller
companies. It became the world’s largest
railroad company. By 1860, Pennsylvania
had 2,600 miles of track, more than any
other state!
New railroads helped trade to increase
throughout our state. They helped in the
growth of our cities, such as Altoona,
Harrisburg, Scranton, Erie, and Pittsburgh.
Railroads also tied the cities and farming
regions together. The railroads provided
the transportation needed to develop
Pennsylvania into one of our most
industrial states.
PennsylvaniaDevelops
Its Natural Resources
P
ennsylvania played an important
part in the industrial development of
our country. During the 1800s, the
area known as Penn’s Woods slowly
changed into an industrial giant!
Pennsylvania had both the natural
resources and wise business people. This
proved to be an excellent combination for
creating industrial growth.
Iron ore
was discovered early in the
colonial days of Pennsylvania near
Philadelphia. As settlements spread into
western Pennsylvania, iron ore was
discovered inmany places. Because of this,
the making of iron became an important
early industry through much of
Pennsylvania. For most of the 1800s,
Pennsylvania was the leader in iron
production in our country.
Because of early transportation hard-
ships, iron furnaces were built near where
the iron ore was mined. Iron goods were
carried by wagons to a river and floated by
boat to the nearest town or city. Later,
canals and railroadswereused tomove iron
products tomany places.
To make iron products, workers used
wood tomake aproduct known as charcoal.
Charcoal was used to produce a hotter fire
that was needed tomelt the iron ore. After
the 1840s, it was discovered that a better
product, called
coke
(not the kind you
drink!), could be made from soft coal. It
Liquid iron can bemade
intomany products.
What are some iron
products you have seen?
