If I recall correctly, that was a special camera built for a railroad, the Chicago and Alton, which was absorbed by the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio, then merged with Illinois Central, then the line was Chicago, Missouri and Western, then Southern Pacific, now Union Pacific. This camera was used to take a picture of the entire consist of The Alton Belle, a passenger train operating between Chicago and St. Louis. Railfan lore gives me an alleged exact spot for this photograph,Brighton Park, near Chicago. That is the size of the camera, no fakery involved.
By no means the first camera.
http://robroy.dyndns.info/lawrence/mammoth.html
This article claims the picture was taken in Brighton Park, but other reports have it near Normal. It may be hard to say, been 115 years ago. Eight by Four and a half foot plates. That is a large format.
Picture, taken for the Paris Exhibition of 1900.
another shot, closing the camera
Here's a pdf of the book about it, made at the time.
http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/milanpub/Alton-Limited.pdf