Question

In 1860, how far west could a person travel by rail from New York?

only as far as Chicago
only as far as the Mississippi River
only as far as the Missouri River
all the way to the West Coast

Answer 1

I believe the answer is: only as far as the Missouri River

By the year of 1860, united states still haven't finished the construction of transcontinental railroad ( the project of finished in 1869)

Transcontinental railroad was a big development since it allow continuous railroad for more than 3000 km.

This mean that prior to 1869, there is no railroad in new york that can surpass 3000 km distance.

Answer 2

In 1860, Omaha, Nebraska was as far west as a person could travel by rail from New York. This will make the correct answer the Missouri River. After the Transcontinental Railroad was completed, the train could go all the way to the west coast.