anies had begun to extend their railway systems outside of the local domain. Between 1851 and 1857, the federal government issued land grants to Illinois to construct the Illinois Central railroad. The government made the growth of one of the largest companies in the nation possible.
             With the Civil War, production of new railroads fell dramatically. At the same time, however, usage of this means of transportation increased greatly. By the conclusion of the war, the need for an even more diverse extension of railways was extremely apparent.
             Soon after the war, the first transcontinental railroad was constructed. The Union Pacific Railroad Company started building from the east, while the Central Pacific began from the west. The two companies met at Promontory Point, Utah, on May 10, 1869. As they drove the Golden Spike uniting the two tracks, a new age was born. Slowly, the small railroad companies would go bankrupt or be overtake
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