This week we are looking at a map planning the railroad from Arnhem to Zwolle in 1857. The map shows the planned trajectory and stations.
Plan for railroad from Arnhem to Zwolle, 1857. Credits: Call no. 6124, RG 4.WCA, Nationaal Archief (public domain)
Detail showing Deventer
This map can be found in record group 4.WCA at the National Archives, which holds the records for the Department of Public Works and its predecessors 1814-1940. The record group has maps of public works like roads, railroads, dikes, mines, airports, etc.
The arrival of a railroad in a town could have affected our ancestors’ lives in different ways:
- The railroads made it easier and cheaper to travel, for example to find work elsewhere, visit family who had moved, or go to a harbor to emigrate.
- Some of our ancestors may have worked for the railroads, or worked as diggers or builders to create the tracks and stations.
- The improved connectivity would have been an economic boost for the town. People producing goods may have found it easier to get their products to market. People selling goods may have found new suppliers or may see their transport costs lowered.
About Yvette Hoitink
