Railroad Ties

The railroad was a powerful and pervasive force in Hagerstown from the late nineteenth century through the middle years of the twentieth century. As the nation`s economy switched from an agricultural to an industrial base, thousands of people came to town -- to factories, mills, and rail yards. This book takes a long look at the people who left the farmstead for the freight train and lets the reader experience their lives through their own words and memories. Folklorist Susan Levitas sought out and interviewed dozens of people whose lives were touched by the railroads, tape recording interviews with nineteen. Many project participants were retired railroad workers -- brakemen, firemen, engineers, blacksmiths, detectives, and female office workers -- while others had families or businesses intertwined with the railroad industry. Other participants were local rail buffs . Their recollections introduce the reader to the jargon ( Who`s the smoke? Hump the cars ) of railroading, to the hobos and others who rode the rails without tickets, and to the practical jokes of the railroad men and the dangerous games of their children. Here also are memories from the railroad wives who fought endless battles with soot and cinders by day and who spent restless nights worrying that their men had been called out into danger. The resulting work, illustrated with both newly shot and historic photographs, speaks to a deeply human side of one city`s experience with the railroad. As the editor puts it, The tracks may have quieted, but the ties live on . Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.