Apparently, the title is the phrase people used to describe the towns that popped up along the route of construction of the Union Pacific Railroad in the late 1860’s. This was due to the high proportion of individuals in these towns whose main goal was to separate railroad construction workers from their pay. Some of the infrastructure of these towns was created by and for the railroad (roundhouses, repair shops) and some by enterprising individuals who hoped to create a new town (hotels and various merchants). Many of the structures in the early days of these towns were actually tents that could be taken down and put up again at the next place the railroad stopped.
The first part of the book describes how a trip from the East to the West coast would be undertaken before the railroad. It was possible, but not quick or easy. You could either go by ship through Panama, or take a stagecoach. After hearing about these journeys, you understand why people were enthusiastic about the railroad going through. The author also discusses several of the individuals who were instrumental in actually getting the Union Pacific tracks laid. The later sections detail several of the towns that came to life as the construction crews went through. These were the places where at least some of the construction crews spent the winter, since they could not lay track in the snow. Some of these towns still exist today, some faded as soon as the next stop was reached.
Many of the towns had vigilante groups, which were sometimes the “townsfolk”, or those who planned to stay after the end of the line moved on, versus the element that only cared about making money, and planned to leave when the construction teams left. Court decisions were not involved. The author also has one chapter dealing with immigrant trains, and the poor conditions the travelers on these cars experienced. The railroad advertised cheap fares to get these individuals on the trains, and to destinations in the West. They needed the income from the fares, and they needed people in the West to both ship agricultural products to the East, and to purchase goods from the East, in order to make their railroads profitable.
If this was your family, how would you research them? If your ancestors were early into some of the towns along the Union Pacific, or any of the many railways created in the late 1800’s, try checking the town histories. You might find some information, or links to information at the Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/collections/railroad-maps-1828-to-1900/articles-and-essays/history-of-railroads-and-maps/the-beginnings-of-american-railroads-and-mapping/ . Check the earliest town directories or the local history center where your ancestors were living.