The Central Pacific Railroad of California Timeline

 

 

 

June 28, 1861

            The Central Pacific Railroad of California incorporated.

                        *Collis P. Huntington (President)

                        * Charles Crocker

                        *Lelend Stanford

                        *Mark Hopkins (Treasurer)

                        * Theodore D. Judah named Chief Engineer

 

July 1, 1862

The Central Pacific was authorized to construct a railroad from the Pacific Coast to the eastern boundary of California.

 

January 8, 1863

The Central Pacific held a ground breaking ceremony in Sacramento California.

 

November 2, 1863

Theodore Judah dies of Yellow Fever while returning from Panama

 

1864

Collis Huntington (Central Pacific) and Thomas Durant (Union Pacific), work together to pass the Pacific Railway Act.

 

Pacific Railway Act: Grants railroads 12,800 acres of land per mile along with all iron and coal deposits under them, and permits them to sell first-mortgage bonds to the public.

 

Central Pacific was to get $48,000 per mile in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

 

1865

Due to the labor shortage, Charles Crocker employs Chinese out of San Francisco.

 

The “Big Four” use their corporation, Credit and Finance Corporation, to keep the profits generated for them.

 

November 1866

The Central Pacific reaches Cisco, 92 miles from Sacramento and 5,911 feet above sea level. Plans are made to use the winter for digging 12 tunnels, each from 800 to 1,650 feet long. They work 3 shifts, 8 hours a day employing 8,000 workers.

 

November 1867

Summit Tunnel is ready for the laying of tracks.

 

December, 1867

The first rails are laid east across the Nevada line.

Year end 1867

The Central Pacific has laid only 40 miles, having to go through thousand of feet of stone, fighting snowdrifts and avoiding avalanches.

 

1868

Huntington negotiates with Brigham Young to build a road for the Central Pacific across Utah through Weber Canyon.

 

Spring 1868

The Central Pacific reaches Reno, Nevada.

 

July 22, 1868

The Central Pacific reaches Wadsworth, Nevada.

 

September, 1868

The Central Pacific reaches Mill City, Nevada.

 

Year End, 1868

The Central Pacific tracks are approaching Carlin, Nevada,  446 miles east of Sacramento.

 

April 9, 1869

Collis P. Huntington (Central Pacific) and General Grenville Dodge (Union Pacific) agree to join their tracks at Promontory Point, Utah.

 

April 30 or May 1, 1869

The Central Pacific reaches Promontory Point

 

May 10, 1869

The Central Pacific train, led by the “Jupiter” locomotive, arrives at 11:15, carrying Leland Stanford, and other officials and guests.