Iron Women

Iron Women examines women who contributed to the rise of the railroads. The chapters cover inventors, writers, bosses, and the infamous Harvey Girls. Women played an integral part in making the railroads a significant factor in US history. The chapter I find the most interesting was the one on the HArvey Girls. I had a vague idea who they were, but I had no idea it was a chain of restaurants and hotels along the southwest that gave jobs to thousands of women from the 1890s-1930s.

I loved reading this short but informative book about women's roles in the early railroad, from the refrigeration car to the painted murals inside the cars and leadership in a male-dominated industry.
I definitely learned a lot about the era and the accomplishments of these strong women.

inventors, women, nonfiction, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, trains, telegraphy*****

The documentation and presentation are very similar to Publish or Perish theses. The women included worked as telegraphers, the owner of narrow gauge railroad, a travel writer, train robber, one who developed the modern refrigerator car, a journalist, civil engineers, an architect, lawyers, and a railroad muralist. The intense research is meticulously documented and attests to its validity. The title is a little off center, but how else might one title a book on the importance of women in railroad history? I enjoyed the read (but then, I really like Charles River Editors).
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Rowman & Littlefield/TwoDot via NetGalley. Thank you.