R.W. Hafer 288 pages softcover
Fish Cars and Fish Culture explores the intersection between the
development of railroads and fish culture during the last half of the
1800s. R. W. Hafer traces how the growth in the railroad industry, both
in terms of its technology and its geographic reach, assisted the newly
formed U.S. Fish Commission in its attempt to restore the nation's
rapidly declining fish populations. Because of railroads, the Commission
was able to transplant millions of fish, often into non-native waters,
across the country. Railroads also fostered the public's interest in the
pastime of sport fishing by not only providing greater access to lakes
and streams, but by creating marketing campaigns that popularized sport
fishing, especially among women. In addition, railroads contributed to
the development of a conservation movement that led to changes in how
Americans viewed and took part in outdoor activities.
