What the Railroads Brought to the High Plains

Description

This program will cover the chronology and highlights of the development of the railroad system in the High Plains of Minnesota and the Dakotas. Emphasis will be the various types of rail transport that were utilized to develop the diverse regions and economies of the region.

The program will be conducted by Rick Mills, who is the Director of the South Dakota State Railroad Museum in Hill City.

Rick Mills of Hermosa is a fifth generation resident of the Black Hills region in western South Dakota, and a lifelong railroad enthusiast. He currently serves as the Director of the South Dakota State Railroad Museum in Hill City, a position he has held since the Museum’s opening in 2010.
 
Mills wrote and published his first book on railroad history in 1985 while a freshman at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, and has since authored five books on regional railroad history, co-authored or edited six other books, and produced articles, scripts, and photo essays for history publications and video productions.
 
He has been involved with programming for South Dakota Public Broadcasting, the History Channel, and the Discovery Channel, and is a presenter for the South Dakota Humanities Council Speakers Bureau.