Plan
for the Pacific Railroad,
by Theodore Judah
Biography
of Theodore Judah
The
Big Four
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Driving
the Last Spike
The greatest historical
event in transportation on the continent occurred at Promontory, Utah,
on May 10, 1869, as the Union Pacific tracks joined those of the Central
Pacific Railroad.
Leland
Stanford
, Collis P. Huntington, Charles Crocker and Mark Hopkins were
the “Big Four” that conceived this enterprise and brought it
to a successful ending after years of daily struggle that would have exhausted
the patience and spirit of ordinary men. Huntington looked after the financing
of the company. Crocker, with his tremendous energy, forced the construction
of rails over the snow-crested Sierra and across the burning deserts
of Nevada and Utah. Stanford kept his energies on the main points leading
 to success, and Hopkins saw that none of the money was wasted. That pioneer
railroad line of the middle ’60s formed the basis of the gigantic Southern
Pacific system.
The connection
of the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific bridged the 2000 miles to
the Missouri River, and the four to six months time taken by the overland
pioneers was reduced to six days. At once the Pacific States were transformed,
and Western life gradually caught up with the life and aspirations of the
East.
A transcontinental
railroad had been dreamed of as early as 1836. From time to time it was
suggested by visionaries and discussed by the orators and newspapers of
the ’40s and ’50s. In 1853 Congress expended $150,000 in hunting a feasible
route. Surveys were made from time to time. The California Legislature
took a hand in the issue in 1855-6, fearing that Congress might relax its
energies, and urged a speedy construction of a railroad, but the jealousy
of politicians delayed the initiative. Meanwhile short line railroads were
developing in the Middle West. Some of these united, and systems began
to develop.
Leland Stanford
is generally given credit for the initiative in starting the enterprise.
In passing the store of Collis P. Huntington in Sacramento, one day, he
noticed one of the huge freight wagons being loaded for the arduous haul
over the Sierra into Nevada. Traffic was developing rapidly, and he realized
that a better carrier and faster service was demanded. He and Huntington
talked the matter over. Mark Hopkins and Charles Crocker were drawn into
the discussion; they all agreed that the time had come for a railroad connection
with the East. Theodore Judah, for whom Judah Street is named, had surveyed
a route over the Sierra and had interested Stanford in its practicability.
He was sent for, and backed with money to go over several surveyed routes
known and select the best one. Meanwhile, the corporation organized with
Leland Stanford as president, C.P. Huntington as vice-president, and
Mark Hopkins as treasurer. Charles Crocker was a leading direction, and
the spirit of dominant energy in pressing construction through and over
all obstruction.
This
is Central Pacific locomotive No. 1, the first engine to be placed in construction
service on the western end of the transcontinental railroad. The maiden
trip was made at Sacramento, November 11, 1863, after having arrived from
the East on a clipper ship via Cape Horn. This locomotive was named in
honor of Leland Stanford, then California’s governor, and one of the “Big
Four” builders of the Central Pacific.
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