In the early 1880s, the railroad arrived in the Southwest and transformed the region's economy. As raw materials were exported in massive quantities, imports such as synthetically dyed yarns became easy to obtain. This yarn, originally manufactured in Germantown, Pennsylvania, came in a wide array of bright hues that allowed weavers to explore new color palettes. The railroad also expanded the popularity of Navajo weavings, and soon competitors were flooding the market with cheaply manufactured blankets, many appropriating Navajo designs. Navajo weavers diversified their craft and began to make fine rugs and colorful “samplers” like this one—known as an eye dazzler—to be sold at trading posts to railway tourists. The fringe is a later addition.