About the Northern Pacific Railway
The signing of the charter for the Northern Pacific by Abraham Lincoln in 1864 and the completion of its mainline in 1883 were major factors in the opening of the northern tier of United States. The NP was involved in some key events affecting the development of the nation, such as: the demise of Custer’s troops, the financial collapses of 1873 and 1893, and the anti-trust legislation of the early1900s. The NP was an early innovator in the areas of on-board dining services, the 4-8-4 and 2-8-8-4 steam locomotive designs, the center-truss flat car and much more.
Retrieved from: Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association http://www.nprha.org/