Transportation
- Farm Machinery and Technology.
- Transportation
- Life on the Farm
- Farmers and the Land
- Crops and Livestock
| 16th-18th
Centuries |
 18th
century
Transportation by water, on trails, or through wilderness |
| 1776-99 | 1794
Lancaster Turnpike opened, first successful toll road |
| 1800 | 1800-30
The era of turnpike building (toll roads) improved communication and commerce between settlements 1807 Robert Fulton demonstrated practicability of steamboats  |
| 1810 | 1815-20
Steamboats became important in western trade |
| 1820 | 1825
Erie Canal finished 1825-40 Era of canal building |
| 1830 | 1830
Peter Cooper's railroad steam engine, the Tom Thumb, ran 13 miles 
1830's Beginning of railroad era |
| 1840 | 1840
3,000 miles of railroad track had been constructed 1845-57 Plank road movement |
| 1850 | 1850's
Major railroad trunk lines from eastern cities crossed the Appalachian Mountains 1850's Steam and clipper ships improved overseas transportation |
| 1860 | 1860
30,000 miles of railroad track had been laid 1869 Illinois passed first designated "Granger" law regulating railroads 1869 Union Pacific, first transcontinental railroad, completed |
| 1870 | 1870's
Refrigerator railroad cars introduced, increasing national markets for fruits and vegetables  |
| 1880 | 1880
160,506 miles of railroad in operation 1887 Interstate Commerce Act |
| 1890 | 1893-1905
Period of railroad consolidation |
| 1900 | 1909
The Wrights demonstrated the airplane  |
| 1910 | 1910-25
Period of road building accompanied increased use of automobiles 1916 Railroad network peaks at 254,000 miles 1916 Rural Post Roads Act began regular Federal subsidies to road building 1917-20 Federal Government operates railroads during war emergency |
| 1920 | 1920's
Truckers began to capture trade in perishables and dairy products 1921 Federal Government gave more aid for farm-to-market roads 1925 Hoch-Smith Resolution required the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to consider agricultural conditions in making railroad rates |
| 1930 | 1930's
Farm-to-market roads emphasized in Federal roadbuilding 1935 Motor Carrier Act brought trucking under ICC regulation |
| 1940 | 1942
Office of Defence Transportation established to coordinate wartime transport needs |
| 1950 | 1950's
Trucks and barges competed successfully for agricultural products as railroad rates rose 1956 Interstate Highway Act |
| 1960 | 1960's
Financial condition of northeastern railroads deteriorated; rail abandonments accelerated 1960's Agricultural shipments by all-cargo planes increased, especially shipments of strawberries and cut flowers |
| 1970 | 1972-74
Russian grain sale caused massive tieups in rail system |
| 1980-90 | 1980
Railroad and trucking industries were deregulated  |
information Provided by the USDA
