The Transcontinental Railroad

The Transcontinental Railroad was constructed in an effort to link Sacramento, California, with Council Bluffs Iowa. The rail line pitted two railroad companies against each other. The Central Pacific, would build the railroad east, and the Union Pacific would build their's west. The railroad was financed by government bonds, issued for thirty years, at 6% interest. The two railroad companies received funding from private donors as well. Leland Stanford became president of the Central Pacific, and Dr. Thomas Durant became president of the Union Pacific. Both men rose to power based on their financial contributions to the railroad. The Central Pacific was the first to break ground on the new railroad, doing so on January 8, 1863. The Union Pacific were delayed in beginning construction by eighteen months, due to a lack of financial backing. Getting supplies was challenging for both sides. In order to receive the necessary supplies, manufacturers from the East Coast had to send ships around the tip of South America, and then back up to California. This process took months to complete, and was slowed further, by the Civil War. After the Civil War ended, the Union Pacific, due to their late start on construction, were forced to compete with southern railroad companies, for supplies, who were trying to repair their railroads, that were damaged during the War. The Union Pacific Railroad's goal was to make the route as short as possible. Their route was arguably the most challenging. At one point the construction workers had to cut through granite for nearly a mile on both sides. They also had to build bridges over bodies of water such as the North Platte River, and Dale Creek. Tunnels were constructed using nitroglycerine. This helped the construction process go faster, but also led to more fatalities. The Central Pacific had a shorter route, and a somewhat easier one as well. The roughest part of their route was over the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Donner Summit. They used an engine from an old locomotive to give them the needed mechanical power to get through the mountain range. Construction lasted until May 10, 1869. The railroad was completed fairly quickly considering the technology and the resources of the time. On May 10th, both companies came together at Promontory Summit, Utah to celebrate their accomplishment. To commemorate the railroad being completed, Central Pacific president Leland Stanford drove in the "golden spike." The Transcontinental Railroad was completed. This railroad has become one of the biggest and most impressive feats of engineering in United States History. It led to a boom in passenger travel, and commerce across the nation. There is truly nothing like it in the world.

Leland Stanford president of the Central Pacific Railroad.

Dr. Thomas Durant president of the Union Pacific Railroad.

The Transcontinental Railroad was met with challenging terrain, such as the Donner Pass.

This map shows the route of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Stay tuned next week for another Throwback Thursday blog post. Be sure to check out the section of the blog devoted to Moore Historical Consulting. Put me to work for you!!