USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Heavy freight such as coal, lumber, ore, and heavy freight going long distances are likely to travel by rail, or some combination of truck, rail, and water. The rail network accounted for approximately 28 percent of U.S. freight movement by ton-miles (the length and weight freight travels).

Detailed explanation-2: -The Great Northern Railway, established in 1889 from several predecessor railroads in Minnesota, began to make its way through North Dakota in the 1890s.

Detailed explanation-3: -Today, North Dakota is almost exclusively the realm of successors BNSF Railway and Canadian Pacific (the latter of which operates the former Soo Line and remaining Milwaukee Road trackage).

Detailed explanation-4: -Construction of the Pacific coast extension began in 1890 and the name was changed once again to the Great Northern Railroad, with the line reaching the Pacific Coast in 1893. Three other railroads were also built in North Dakota: The Chicago and Northwestern, The Soo Line, and The Chicago-Milwaukee and St. Paul.