Signed, Definitive History of Railroads in Texas

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AUTHOR: St. Clair G. Reed.

TITLE: A History of the Texas Railroads and of Transportation Conditions Under Spain and Mexico and the Republic and State.

PUBLICATION DATA: 1941. St. Clair Publishing. Second Edition, after a limited numbered edition printed the same year.

Since it was published, Reed has been considered the bible on Texas railroading. He began his career with New York, Texas and Mexican Railway (later Southern Pacific) and worked in the industry for five decades before retiring and spending 4 years compiling this massive comprehensive history.

Condition report:

Hardcover, in publisher's original blue cloth. Covers are well worn. Rear hinge is cracked but binding remains secure. 822 pages. Signed by Reed on front pastedown. Previous owner's embossed seal to title page.

Why It Matters:

John H. Jenkins, in Basic Texas Books, said of Reed's book "One of the most comprehensive studies of the railroading history of any state, this is by far the best on Texas railroads. The author reveals comprehensive knowledge of the problems of federal and state legislation regulating rail transportation and a sympathetic understanding of social, economic, and political conditions back of such legislation." It's still the best book on the subject and an uncommon find.