The Historical Geography of Rail and Highway Transport at Bemidji, Minnesota

This thesis studies the geographic reasons for the development of transportation at Bemidji, Minnesota. The transportation types studied are railroads, trucking and busses. The physical setting is examined to determine the basic reasons for settlement of the area. Physical aspects examined are the geology, soils, climate, and watersheds. Rural land use and reasons for the choice of the city site are also studied. In the presentation of railroad development, five railroads are studied geographically. These include the Red Lake Transportation Company; Wilton and Northern Railroad; Brainerd and Northern Railway Company; Great Northern Railway; and the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad. Development of trunk highways through Bemidji is examined in the section on highway transport development. In addition, the geographical reasons for the historical development of dray lines, common carriers, contract carriers, long distance trucking, and busses are studied. The major changes that have occurred in each type of transportation are analyzed. Included in this analysis are possible future developments of the three major forms of transportation