QUOTE: Originally posted by ajmiller QUOTE: Originally posted by ironhorseman Just how big headed do you have to be to label your railroad as in "Great?" What was so "great" about the Great Northern. Why couldn't have been the Wonderful Northern or the Fabulous Northern? Was it not good enough to be the Spectacular Northern? If Mr. James J. Hill had tried harder maybe he could have had a Stupendous Northern or even an Outstanding Northern. I mean, if it was just going to be 'great' from the get-go what was stopping him from making it a Terrific Northern? Maybe they ment "Great" in the sense of largeness or importance in the area. There were other entites with the word "Great" in their name. For example, "Great Eastern" was a railroad in England, and also the name of a very large steamship. Also, there was a Great Northern Railway in England as well. Perhaps Hill was just borrowing the name from somthing people were familiar with. It was an era for thinking big and the name fit with the times. Think of Barnum & Bailey's "Greatest Show on Earth" or the Great Lakes or the Great Depression. Heck, there's even a whole country (well technically just the island) named Great Britain.
QUOTE: Originally posted by ironhorseman Just how big headed do you have to be to label your railroad as in "Great?" What was so "great" about the Great Northern. Why couldn't have been the Wonderful Northern or the Fabulous Northern? Was it not good enough to be the Spectacular Northern? If Mr. James J. Hill had tried harder maybe he could have had a Stupendous Northern or even an Outstanding Northern. I mean, if it was just going to be 'great' from the get-go what was stopping him from making it a Terrific Northern?
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QUOTE: Originally posted by ironhorseman Just how big headed do you have to be to label your railroad as in "Great?" What was so "great" about the Great Northern.
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