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The Railroad’s Impact on Land Values in the Upper Great Plains at the Closing of the Frontier

Author

Listed:
  • Christopher S. Decker

    (University of Nebraska-Omaha)

  • David T. Flynn

    (University of North Dakota)

Abstract

We show that the impact of transportation improvements on land values is complex with a direct, positive relationship on the price of land and also a positive relationship with the ratio of improved acres to total acres, another important influence on the per acre price of land. We construct a two step estimation that removes the impact of transportation outlets on the ratio of improved to total acres before including the transportation variables and the adjusted ratio variable as independent variables in a regression on price per acre. This estimation gives us the expected positive impact of railroads on land price. We also use Box-Cox regressions to show the semi-log form, a common model specification, may be inappropriate for our data and possibly then for other land price research.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher S. Decker & David T. Flynn, 2004. "The Railroad’s Impact on Land Values in the Upper Great Plains at the Closing of the Frontier," Economic History 0408001, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpeh:0408001
    Note: Type of Document - pdf; pages: 21
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    File URL: https://econwpa.ub.uni-muenchen.de/econ-wp/eh/papers/0408/0408001.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert J. Barro, 1991. "Economic Growth in a Cross Section of Countries," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 407-443.
    2. Heckelman, Jac C. & Wallis, John Joseph, 1997. "Railroads and Property Taxes," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 77-99, January.
    3. Coffman, Chad & Gregson, Mary Eschelbach, 1998. "Railroad Development and Land Value," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 191-204, March.
    4. Anderson, Terry L & Hill, Peter J, 1975. "The Evolution of Property Rights: A Study of the American West," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 18(1), pages 163-179, April.
    5. Craig, Lee A & Palmquist, Raymond B & Weiss, Thomas, 1998. "Transportation Improvements and Land Values in the Antebellum United States: A Hedonic Approach," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 173-189, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bishal Bhakta Kasu & Guangqing Chi, 2018. "The Evolving and Complementary Impacts of Transportation Infrastructures on Population and Employment Change in the United States, 1970–2010," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(6), pages 1003-1029, December.
    2. Decker, Christopher & Flynn, David, 2009. "The impact of military forts on agricultural investments on the Great Plains in 1880," MPRA Paper 19556, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Andrew R. Goetz, 2011. "The Global Economic Crisis, Investment in Transport Infrastructure, and Economic Development," Chapters, in: Kenneth Button & Aura Reggiani (ed.), Transportation and Economic Development Challenges, chapter 3, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Katherine White, 2008. "Sending or Receiving Stations? The Dual Influence of Railroads in Early 20th-Century Great Plains Settlement," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 27(1), pages 89-115, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Box-Cox; Railroads; Great Plains;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N - Economic History

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