16 by 12 inches, oil on canvas panel Its doubtful anyone could have fully imagined the changes that were foreshadowed when the conductor swung his signal lamp to stop the train for the first time in Tucson at 11:00 am on Wednesday, March 17, 1880. For almost a century, Tucson had remained a remote supply station between more populated areas of California, New Mexico and Texas. Transporting people, goods, and equipment across an arid and sometimes hostile desert was difficult and expensive, making significant and sustained growth virtually impossible. All of that changed with the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad Engine number 41. The newspaper of the day had not begun publishing pictures and only printed seventeen lines reporting the event, but reserved one whole column announcing that because the railroad is here, a reduction in (advertising) prices was called for. What an understatement! Because of the speed and ease with which goods could now be transported, prices on almost everything dropped as much as 75% almost immediately! Tucson was soon flooded with all manner of people from the east with families and children, building materials, and dreams. The ripples in the social, cultural, and economic fabric would be dramatic, as the twin steel rails became the keys to unlock the rich natural resources of the Territory, punching our ticket to statehood. John Watt © 2005