Editing Midwestern United States (section)

==== Railroads and the automobile ====
[[File:00DI0943 - Flickr - USDAgov.jpg|thumb|[[Homestead Acts|Homesteaders]] in central Nebraska in 1888]]

During the mid-19th century, the region got its first railroads, and the railroad junction in Chicago became the world's largest. During the century, Chicago became the nation's railroad center. By 1910, over 20 railroads operated passenger service out of six different downtown terminals. Even today, a century after [[Henry Ford]], six [[Class I railroad]]s ([[Union Pacific]], [[BNSF]], [[Norfolk Southern]], [[CSX]], [[Canadian National]], and [[Canadian Pacific]]) meet in Chicago.{{sfnp|Condit|1973|pp=43-49, 58, 318-319}}<ref>{{Holland-Classic|pages = 66–91}}</ref>

In the period from 1890 to 1930, many Midwestern cities were connected by electric [[interurban]] railroads, similar to streetcars. The Midwest had more interurbans than any other region. In 1916, Ohio led all states with {{convert|2,798|mi|km}}, Indiana followed with {{convert|1,825|mi|km}}. These two states alone had almost a third of the country's interurban trackage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.answers.com/topic/railways-interurban |title=US History Encyclopedia: Interurban Railways |publisher=Answers.com |access-date=October 3, 2010}}</ref> The nation's largest interurban junction was in Indianapolis. During the decade of the early 1900s, that city's 38 percent growth in population was attributed largely to the interurban.<ref>David P. Morgan (ed.): ''[https://archive.org/stream/interurbanera00midd/interurbanera00midd_djvu.txt The Interurban Era]'', Kalmbach Publishing Co., pp. 16–17.</ref>

Competition with automobiles and buses undermined the interurban and other railroad passenger business. By 1900, [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]] was the world center of the auto industry, and soon practically every city within {{Convert|200|mi}} was producing auto parts that fed into its giant factories.<ref>{{Cite journal |jstor = 3144703|title = The Automotive Industry: A Study in Industrial Location|journal = Land Economics|volume = 35|issue = 1|pages = 1–14|last1 = Hurley|first1 = Neil P.|year = 1959|doi = 10.2307/3144703| bibcode=1959LandE..35....1H }}</ref>

In 1903, Henry Ford founded the [[Ford Motor Company]]. Ford's manufacturing—and those of automotive pioneers [[William C. Durant]], the [[Dodge]] brothers, [[Packard]], and [[Walter Chrysler]]—established Detroit's status in the early 20th century as the world's automotive capital. The proliferation of businesses created a synergy that also encouraged truck manufacturers such as Rapid and [[GMC (automobile)|Grabowsky]].<ref name="Woodford">Woodford, Arthur M. (2001). ''This is Detroit: 1701–2001''. Wayne State University Press</ref>

The growth of the auto industry was reflected by changes in businesses throughout the Midwest and nation, with the development of garages to service vehicles and gas stations, as well as factories for parts and tires. Today, greater Detroit remains home to [[General Motors]], [[Chrysler]], and the Ford Motor Company.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gm.com/our-company/about-gm.html|title=About GM {{!}} General Motors|website=Gm.com|access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}