PRINCETON — Journey Stories of the Iron Road and the Traveling Medicine Man will be coming to the Princeton Public Library in the next two weeks.

At 6:30 p.m. today, Tuesday, Simon Cordery, chair of the history department at Western Illinois University, will speak on the Hidden History of the Railroads of Illinois. The saying, “a hog can travel non-stop from coast to coast, but a person must change in Chicago,” confirms the Windy City’s status as the hub of the American railroad system. But Chicago is only one aspect of the fascinating history of Illinois railroads.

Cordery will survey the expansion of the railroad industry in the Land of Lincoln, demonstrate how Illinois fits into the pattern of national railroad development, and explore the national political significance of the history of railroads in the Prairie State in the 19th century.