![]() ![]() 18, 1883, for the adoption of the new system by virtually every railroad in the country. “Railroad time” quickly became the new “local time” everywhere - or at least almost everywhere. In 1872, railroad officials from around the country met in Missouri to arrange summer passenger schedules. To address the time problem, they formed a permanent organization to work on a solution. In October 1883, this body (then known as the General Time Convention) approved a plan, conceived entirely through the ingenuity of private citizens, to establish standardized time zones. It chose the date of Nov. “In every city and town,” historian Stewart Holbrook wrote in 1947, “the multiplicity of time standards confused and bewildered passengers, shippers and railway employees. Too often, errors and mistakes turned out disastrously, for railroads were now running fast trains on tight schedules a minute or two might mean the difference between smooth operation and a collision.” in Grand Rapids. Indeed, there were at least 27 different local times within the state of Michigan alone. Indiana was slightly less confusing, with just 23 local times, but Wisconsin - with 38 - was a clock watcher’s nightmare. in Pittsburgh, 12:24 in Cleveland, 12:13 in Cincinnati, and 12:07 in Indianapolis. Or, when it was noon in Detroit, it was about 11:50 a.m. This meant that when it was noon in Chicago, it was 12:31 p.m. People in the continental United States have become so accustomed to four standardized time zones - Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific - that it is hard to believe that we ever kept time any other way. But until a crucial date in 1883, what time it was depended on the nearest city or town. The time of day was a purely local matter, determined by the position of the sun. Noon was when the sun was at its highest point in the sky. Local people set their timepieces by some well-known clock in their respective communities, such as the one on a prominent church steeple or in a jeweler’s window. Too often, errors and mistakes turned out disastrously. “In every city and town,” historian Stewart Holbrook wrote in 1947, “the multiplicity of time standards confused and bewildered passengers, shippers and railway employees. ![]()
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