Perry Hamilton of Wynnewood joins the library for an In-Person program, "The Role of the Main Line in Establishing America's Railroad Network."

Resulting from the Revolutionary War and the subsequent Peace Treaty of 1783, the United States of America spanned from Maine to Georgia and the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. In the midst of this territory was the Appalachian Mountains which formed a forbidding barrier to commerce and governance between the two sides of this divide.

The answer to this challenge was to build a network of railroads to join the Americans of the coastal areas with the Americans settling to the West. Among the three largest and most viable cities, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, the Philadelphians responded to this challenge most successfully – by far.

Answering this challenge was the business corporation with a civic mission, the Pennsylvania Railroad. With its unique corporate structure, make up of personnel, and business ethics, the Pennsylvania Railroad formed the largest and strongest heart of America’s transportation system, contributing to making America the strongest and wealthiest nation in the world.

This presentation will examine the phenomenon of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the unique Main Line Society that developed along this road bed in Lower Merion in the late 19th Century. 

About the Presenter:

Perry Hamilton of Wynnewood, a lifelong resident of Lower Merion, along with his wife Betsy, raised three
children and has been an avid reader of business history with a focus on 19th Century American Business.