Freshly Printed - allow 7 days lead
Couldn't load pickup availability
Fish Cars and Fish Culture
Railroads and Sport Fishing in America
R. W. Hafer (Author)
9781496235145
Paperback / softback, published 1 April 2026
266 pages, 7 photos, 8 illustrations, index
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.5 cm, 0.666 kg
"R. W. Hafer's Fish Cars and Fish Culture is a welcome, indeed foundational, addition to the library of anyone wishing to understand a remarkably dynamic period in the evolving culture of American outdoor sport. It sets the historical stage for many of today's most vexing natural resource management challenges and controversies."—Paul Schullery, author of American Fly Fishing: A History "State general assemblies and consumers annually fund billions of dollars connected to fishing culture. Where does this influential economy come from? R. W. Hafer's epic story entertains and educates in his wide sweep through the synergism of governments, recreation, and commerce. A very pleasant read."—Lynn Morrow, editor of The Ozarks in Missouri History: Discoveries in an American Region "An intriguing account of how the nineteenth-century crusade to replenish America's declining fish stocks became dependent on improved railroad technology, which in turn facilitated the spread of sport fishing across the country."—John F. Reiger, author of American Sportsmen and the Origins of Conservation
Fish Cars and Fish Culture explores the intersection between the development of railroads and fish culture during the last half of the 1800s. R. W. Hafer traces how the growth in the railroad industry, both in terms of its technology and its geographic reach, assisted the newly formed U.S. Fish Commission in its attempt to restore the nation's rapidly declining fish populations. Because of railroads, the Commission was able to transplant millions of fish, often into non-native waters, across the country. Railroads also fostered the public's interest in the pastime of sport fishing by not only providing greater access to lakes and streams, but by creating marketing campaigns that popularized sport fishing, especially among women. In addition, railroads contributed to the development of a conservation movement that led to changes in how Americans viewed and took part in outdoor activities.
List of Illustrations List of Tables Introduction 1. A Brief History of Railroads in the United States 2. A Brief History of Fish Culture 3. The U.S. Fish Commission 4. The Fish Commission, the Great Experiment, and the Railroads 5. The Fish Car 6. Railroads, the Landscape, and Sport Fishing in America 7. Railroads, Women, and Fishing One Final Note Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index