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''[[United States|United States ]] >  [[United States Migration Internal|Migration ]] >  [[US Migration Railroads|Railroads ]] >  [[Central_Pacific_Railroad|Central Pacific Railroad]]''
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[[Image:Trestle CPRR.jpg|thumb|right|400px|<center>Trestle on Central Pacific Railroad</center>]]In 1869 the Central Pacific Railroad out of Sacramento, [[California, United States Genealogy|California]], and the [[Union Pacific Railroad|Union Pacific Railroad]] out of Omaha, [[Nebraska Genealogy|Nebraska]] linked tracks in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_spike Golden Spike] ceremony at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promontory_Summit Promontroy Summit], [[Utah Genealogy|Utah]] to form the first [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcontinental_railroad transcontinental railroad service] in the [[United States Genealogy|United States]].<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Central Pacific Railroad," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Central_Pacific_Railroad Wikipedia contributors,</ref> <ref>"Union Pacific Railroad," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Union_Pacific_Railroad Wikipedia contributors,</ref> <ref>"Golden spike," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Golden_spike and Wikipedia contributors,</ref> <ref>"Promontory, Utah," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Promontory,_Utah</ref> Settlers were attracted to communities near railroads because they provided access to markets. Railroads encouraged settlement along their routes to help increase the need for their service. If an ancestor settled near a railroad, you may be able to trace their place of origin back to another place along the tracks.  
[[Image:Trestle CPRR.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Central Pacific Railroad trestle in the mountains. Note the Chinese laborers.]]In 1869 the Central Pacific Railroad out of Sacramento, [[Portal:California|California]], and the [[Union Pacific Railroad|Union Pacific Railroad]] out of Omaha, [[Portal:Nebraska|Nebraska]] linked tracks in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_spike Golden Spike] ceremony at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promontory_Summit Promontroy Summit], [[Portal:Utah|Utah]] to form the first [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcontinental_railroad transcontinental railroad service] in the [[United States|United States]].<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Central Pacific Railroad," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Central_Pacific_Railroad</ref><ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Union Pacific Railroad," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Union_Pacific_Railroad</ref><ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Golden spike," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Golden_spike</ref> and <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Promontory, Utah," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Promontory,_Utah&old</ref> Settlers were attracted to communities near railroads because they provided access to markets. Railroads encouraged settlement along their routes to help increase the need for their service. If an ancestor settled near a railroad, you may be able to trace their place of origin back to another place along the tracks.  


== Historical Background  ==
=== Historical Background  ===


In order to bind the nation together from [[California, United States Genealogy|California]] to the eastern states visionaries proposed a railroad between the west and east coasts of the [[United States Genealogy|United States]]. During the [[United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865|Civil War]] Congress authorized the building of this railroad. Congress offered [[Grants to Land Companies and Railroads#Railroads|land grants]] along the tracks in a [[Grants to Land Companies and Railroads#Railroads|checkerboard pattern]] as an incentive to the builders. The company that could build the most track would receive the most land.  
In order to bind the nation together from [[Portal:California|California]] to the eastern states visionaries proposed a railroad between the west and east coasts of the [[United States|United States]]. During the [[United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865|Civil War]] Congress authorized the building of this railroad. Congress offered [[Grants to Land Companies and Railroads#Railroads|land grants]] along the tracks in a [[Grants to Land Companies and Railroads#Railroads|checkerboard pattern]] as an incentive to the builders. The company that could build the most track would receive the most land.  


Starting in 1863 in Sacramento, [[California, United States Genealogy|California]], the Central Pacific laid their first tracks. They slowly started their eastward race toward the oncoming [[Union Pacific Railroad|Union Pacific Railroad]] by building to Roseville, California in 1864. In 1865 they reached Colfax, and in 1866 Cisco, California. They overcame terrific problems including, labor shortages, difficulty obtaining U.S. steel tracks, lack of blasting powder, and the expense of grading, tunneling and bridging in steep mountains. In 1868 they laid 306 miles of track across [[Nevada Genealogy|Nevada]], and set a world record building ten miles of track in twelve hours in 1869. On 10 May 1869 the Central Pacific joined track with the Union Pacific at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promontory,_Utah Promontory Summit], [[Utah Genealogy|Utah]] north of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Salt_Lake Great Salt Lake] to form the first [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcontinental_railroad transcontinental railroad] in the [[United States Genealogy|United States]].<ref>"Central Pacific Railroad" in ''American Western History Musuems'' at http://www.linecamp.com/museums/americanwest/western_clubs/central_pacific_railroad/central_pacific_railroad.html (accessed 10 July 2009).</ref> Later in 1904 the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucin_Cutoff Lucin Cutoff] was completed across the Salt Lake to shorten the route to Ogden, Utah and avoid mountain grades and curves.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Lucin Cutoff" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lucin_Cutoff (accessed 10 July 2009).</ref>  
Starting in 1863 in Sacramento, [[Portal:California|California]], the Central Pacific&nbsp;laid their first tracks.&nbsp;They&nbsp;slowly started&nbsp;their&nbsp;eastward race toward the oncoming [[Union Pacific Railroad|Union Pacific Railroad]] by building to Roseville, California in 1864. In 1865&nbsp;they reached Colfax, and in 1866 Cisco, California. They overcame terrific problems including, labor shortages,&nbsp;difficulty obtaining U.S. steel tracks, lack of blasting powder, and the expense of grading, tunneling and bridging in steep mountains. In 1868 they laid 306 miles of track across [[Portal:Nevada|Nevada]], and set a world record&nbsp;building ten miles of track in twelve hours in 1869. On 10 May 1869 the Central Pacific&nbsp;joined track with the Union Pacific at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promontory,_Utah Promontory Summit], [[Portal:Utah|Utah]] north of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Salt_Lake Great Salt Lake] to form the first [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcontinental_railroad transcontinental railroad] in the [[United States|United States]].<ref>"Central Pacific Railroad" in ''American Western History Musuems'' at http://www.linecamp.com/museums/americanwest/western_clubs/central_pacific_railroad/central_pacific_railroad.html (accessed 10 July 2009).</ref> Later in 1904&nbsp;the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucin_Cutoff Lucin Cutoff] was completed across the Salt Lake to shorten the route to Ogden, Utah and avoid mountain grades and curves.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Lucin Cutoff" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lucin_Cutoff (accessed 10 July 2009).</ref>  


*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Pacific_Railroad Central Pacific Railroad]
=== Route  ===


== Route ==
The Central Pacific Railrad from west to east went through:  
[[Image:The Last Spike 1869.jpg|right|419x271px|The Last Spike 1869]] 
The Central Pacific Railrad from west to east went through the following towns (listed with their modern county names):  


[[California, United States Genealogy|California]]
*Sacramento, [[Portal:California|California]]  
*Sacramento, [[Sacramento County, California Genealogy|Sacramento County]]
*Reno, [[Portal:Nevada|Nevada]]  
*Roseville, [[Placer County, California Genealogy|Placer County]]
*Winnemucca, Nevada
*Newcastle, [[Placer County, California Genealogy|Placer County]]  
*Elko, Nevada  
*Auburn, [[Placer County, California Genealogy|Placer County]]
*Wells, Nevada
*Colfax, [[Placer County, California Genealogy|Placer County]]
*Ogden, [[Portal:Utah|Utah]]
*Through Sierra Nevada Mountains in California
*Extension to Alameda, [[Alameda County, California Genealogy|Alameda County]]
*Extension to Oakland, [[Alameda County, California Genealogy|Alameda County]]
*Extension to Stockton, [[San Joaquin County, California Genealogy|San Joaquin County]]  
*Extension to Vallejo, Solano County
*Extension to Benicia, Solano County


[[Nevada Genealogy|Nevada]]
During most&nbsp;of its history, the Central Pacific tracks through [[Portal:Nevada|Nevada]] to Ogden, [[Portal:Utah|Utah]]&nbsp;were controlled by the [[Southern Pacific Railroad|Southern Pacific Railroad]].
*Reno, [[Washoe County, Nevada Genealogy#Land|Washoe County]]
*Winnemucca, [[Humboldt County, Nevada Genealogy|Humboldt County]]  
*Elko, [[Elko County, Nevada Genealogy|Elko County]]  
*Wells, [[Elko County, Nevada Genealogy|Elko county]]


[[Utah Genealogy|Utah]]
=== Settlers and Records  ===
*Promontory Summit, [[Box Elder County, Utah Genealogy|Box Elder County]]
*Corrinne, [[Box Elder County, Utah Genealogy|Box Elder County]]
*Brigham City, [[Box Elder County, Utah Genealogy|Box Elder County]]
*Ogden, [[Weber County, Utah Genealogy|Weber County]]
*Feeder line to [[Salt Lake City, Utah|Salt Lake City]], Salt Lake County


This railway company laid 690 miles of track. During most of its history, the Central Pacific tracks through [[Nevada Genealogy|Nevada]] to Ogden, [[Utah Genealogy|Utah]] were controlled by the [[Southern Pacific Railroad|Southern Pacific Railroad]].
Settlers using the Central Pacific Railroad were likely to be from Eastern or Midwestern states along the tracks of the Union Pacific and connectors such as Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Utah. Most would have settled in Utah, Nevada, or northern California.  


== Settlers and Records  ==
There are no known Central Pacific Railroad passenger list records.


Settlers using the Central Pacific Railroad were likely to be from Eastern or Midwestern states along the tracks of the Union Pacific and connectors such as Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Utah. Most would have settled in Utah, Nevada, or northern California. There are no known Central Pacific Railroad passenger list records.
=== Websites ===
 
 
''' Collections'''
*[http://cprr.org/Museum/Manuscripts.html Manuscript Collections Relating to the Central Pacific Railroad]
 
== Workers on the Railroad - Chinese ==
Between 1865-1869, 10,000 -12,000 Chinese were involved in the building of the western leg of the Central Pacific Railroad. The work was backbreaking and highly dangerous. Approximately 1,200 died while building the Transcontinental Railroad.
 
*[[Chinese Railroad Workers]] - FamilySearch Wiki Article
*[https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/transcontinental-railroad/ FamilySearch Blog:The First Transcontinental Railroad: Did Your Chinese Ancestors Help Build It?]
*[http://cprr.org/Museum/Chinese.html Chinese-American Contribution to the Transcontinental Railroad]
*[http://cprr.org/Museum/Chinese_Laborers.html Chinese Laborers and the Construction of the Central Pacific]
*[https://www.nps.gov/gosp/learn/historyculture/a-legacy-from-the-far-east.htm A Legacy from the Far East - National Park Service]
*[https://www.goldenspike150.org/ Chinese Railroad Workers Descendants Association]
*[http://web.stanford.edu/group/chineserailroad/cgi-bin/wordpress/ Stanford University Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project - Home Page]
*[http://web.stanford.edu/group/chineserailroad/cgi-bin/wordpress/researchmaterials/oral-history/ Stanford University Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project.]
*[http://web.stanford.edu/group/chineserailroad/cgi-bin/wordpress/researchmaterials/payroll/ Payroll Records- California State Railroad Museum Library]
*[http://www.crrwmemorialproject.com/ Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial Project]
 
== Publications ==
'''Books'''
*William F. Chew. ''Nameless builders of the Transcontinental Railroad : the Chinese workers of the Central Pacific Railroad.'' Victoria, British Columbia: Trafford, 2004. {{FSC|1587605|item|disp=FS Library 973 H2cwf}}
*Annian Huang. ''The Silent Spikes: Chinese Laborers and the Construction of North American Railroads.'' rev.ed. Beijing:China Intercontinental Press, 2017 not at FS Library
*George Kraus. ''High Road to Promontory: Building the Central Pacific (now Southern Pacific) Across the High Sierra.'' American West Publishing Company, 1969. not at FS Library   
 
'''Articles'''
*George Kraus. " Chinese Laboroers and the Construction of the Central Pacific." Utah Historical Quarterly 37(Winter,1969):
*Alexander Saxton."The Army of Canton in the High Sierra." Pacific Historical Review 35 (May 1966): 141-152.
*[http://www.donnersummithistoricalsociety.org/PDFs/newsletters/news16/june16.pdf ''Chinese Railroad Workers on Donner Sumit - Pt I.'' The Donner Summit Heirloom. History and stories of the Donner Summit Historical Society June, 2016 issue #94] 
*[http://www.donnersummithistoricalsociety.org/PDFs/newsletters/news16/July16.pdf ''Chinese Railroad Workers on Donner Summit - Pt II Life, Work & Danger. The Donner Summit Heirloom. History and stories of the Donner Summit Historical Society. July, 2016 issue #95]
*[http://donnersummithistoricalsociety.org/PDFs/newsletters/news16/august16.pdf ''Chinese Railroad Workers on Donner Summit - Pt III Summit Camp.'' The Donner Summit Historical Society. History and Stories of the Donner Summit Historical Society. August, 2016 #96]
*[http://donnersummithistoricalsociety.org/PDFs/newsletters/news16/september16.pdf ''Chinese Railroad Workers on Donner Summit - Pt IV Celebration for Some.'' The Donner Summit Heirloom. HIstory and Stories of the Donner Summit Historical Society. September, 2016 issue#97]
*[http://donnersummithistoricalsociety.org/PDFs/newsletters/news12/july12.pdf ''Tunnel 6 - The Building.'' The Donner Summit Heirloom. History and Stories of the Donner Summit Historical Society. July 2012 issue #47]
*[https://1882foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Railroad-Tour-Brochure_Digital-Publishing_Single-Page.pdf Exploring the Path of Chinese Railroad Workers. A Self-Guided Heritage Tour of Chinese Railroad Worker Sites from Auburn to Donner Pass.] 
 
 
''' Published in 2019'''
*Gordon H. Chang and Shelley Fisher Fishkin, eds. '' The Chinese and the Iron Road: Building the Transcontinental Railroad.'' Stanford University Press, Publication date April 30, 2019.
*Gordon H. Chang. '' Ghosts of Gold Mountain:The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad.'' Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,Publication Date May 7, 2019.
*Manu Karuka. ''Empire's Workers:Indigenous Nations: Chinese Workers, and the Transcontinental Railroad.''University of California Press,  Publication Date March 5, 2019.
 
== Websites  ==


*[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Central_Pacific_Railroad Wikipedia - Central Pacific Railroad]  
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Central_Pacific_Railroad Wikipedia - Central Pacific Railroad]  
*[http://www.linecamp.com/museums/americanwest/western_clubs/central_pacific_railroad/central_pacific_railroad.html American Western History Musuems - Central Pacific Railroad]
*[http://www.linecamp.com/museums/americanwest/western_clubs/central_pacific_railroad/central_pacific_railroad.html American Western History Musuems - Central Pacific Railroad]
*[http://cprr.org/ Central Pacific Railroad Museum]
*[https://www.californiarailroad.museum/visit/library California Railroad Museum Library & Archives]
== Sources  ==


{{reflist}}
=== Sources  ===


{{California|California}}{{Nevada|Nevada}}{{Utah|Utah}} 
{{reflist}}<br><br>


[[Category:Migration_Routes|Central Pacific]] [[Category:United_States_Migration_Internal|Central Pacific]] [[Category:US_Migration_Railroads|Central Pacific]] [[Category:California Migration Routes|Central Pacific]] [[Category:Nevada Migration Routes|Central Pacific]] [[Category:Utah Migration Routes]]
[[Category:Migration_Routes|Central Pacific]] [[Category:United_States_Migration_Internal|Central Pacific]] [[Category:US_Migration_Railroads|Central Pacific]] [[Category:California|Central Pacific]] [[Category:Nevada|Central Pacific]] [[Category:Utah|Central Pacific]]

Revision as of 14:29, 1 September 2009

United States  >  Migration  >  Railroads  >  Central Pacific Railroad

Central Pacific Railroad trestle in the mountains. Note the Chinese laborers.

In 1869 the Central Pacific Railroad out of Sacramento, California, and the Union Pacific Railroad out of Omaha, Nebraska linked tracks in the Golden Spike ceremony at Promontroy Summit, Utah to form the first transcontinental railroad service in the United States.[1][2][3] and [4] Settlers were attracted to communities near railroads because they provided access to markets. Railroads encouraged settlement along their routes to help increase the need for their service. If an ancestor settled near a railroad, you may be able to trace their place of origin back to another place along the tracks.

Historical Background[edit | edit source]

In order to bind the nation together from California to the eastern states visionaries proposed a railroad between the west and east coasts of the United States. During the Civil War Congress authorized the building of this railroad. Congress offered land grants along the tracks in a checkerboard pattern as an incentive to the builders. The company that could build the most track would receive the most land.

Starting in 1863 in Sacramento, California, the Central Pacific laid their first tracks. They slowly started their eastward race toward the oncoming Union Pacific Railroad by building to Roseville, California in 1864. In 1865 they reached Colfax, and in 1866 Cisco, California. They overcame terrific problems including, labor shortages, difficulty obtaining U.S. steel tracks, lack of blasting powder, and the expense of grading, tunneling and bridging in steep mountains. In 1868 they laid 306 miles of track across Nevada, and set a world record building ten miles of track in twelve hours in 1869. On 10 May 1869 the Central Pacific joined track with the Union Pacific at Promontory Summit, Utah north of the Great Salt Lake to form the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.[5] Later in 1904 the Lucin Cutoff was completed across the Salt Lake to shorten the route to Ogden, Utah and avoid mountain grades and curves.[6]

Route[edit | edit source]

The Central Pacific Railrad from west to east went through:

During most of its history, the Central Pacific tracks through Nevada to Ogden, Utah were controlled by the Southern Pacific Railroad.

Settlers and Records[edit | edit source]

Settlers using the Central Pacific Railroad were likely to be from Eastern or Midwestern states along the tracks of the Union Pacific and connectors such as Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Utah. Most would have settled in Utah, Nevada, or northern California.

There are no known Central Pacific Railroad passenger list records.

Websites[edit | edit source]

Sources[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Central Pacific Railroad," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Central_Pacific_Railroad
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Union Pacific Railroad," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Union_Pacific_Railroad
  3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Golden spike," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Golden_spike
  4. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Promontory, Utah," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Promontory,_Utah&old
  5. ↑ "Central Pacific Railroad" in American Western History Musuems at http://www.linecamp.com/museums/americanwest/western_clubs/central_pacific_railroad/central_pacific_railroad.html (accessed 10 July 2009).
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Lucin Cutoff" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lucin_Cutoff (accessed 10 July 2009).



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