Union Pacific Railroad

United States &gt;  Migration  &gt;  Railroads  &gt;  Union Pacific Railroad

In 1869 the Union Pacific Railroad out of Omaha, Nebraska, and the Central Pacific Railroad out of Sacramento, California linked tracks in the Golden Spike ceremony at Promontroy Summit, Utah to form the first transcontinental railroad service in the United States. 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
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 1865 in Omaha, Nebraska, the Union Pacific Railroad laid their first tracks. They slowly started their westward race toward the oncoming Central Pacific Railroad by building only 40 miles after spending $500,000. As the pace quickened Irish immigrants and soldiers looking for work at the end of the Civil War increased the size of the labor force. The Union Pacific faced a shortage of timber for railroad ties on the Great Plains of Nebraska, and had to defend themselves against hostile Indian attacks, and harsh weather. Eventually they would average a mile of new track a day. In Wyoming they were challenged by deep ravines, and the Weber River in Utah was crossed 31 times. By the end of 1865 the end of the track had only reached Fremont, Nebraska. In late 1866 they reached North Platte, in 1867 Cheyenne, Wyoming, in late 1868 track reached Evanston, Wyoming. On 10 May 1869 the Union Pacific joined track with the Central Pacific at Promontory Summit, Utah north of the Great Salt Lake to form the first transcontinental railroad in the United States. In 1872 a bridge was completed across the Missouri River to Council Bluffs, Iowa. Later in 1904 the Lucin Cutoff was completed across the Salt Lake to shorten the route to Ogden, Utah and avoid steep mountain grades and curves. In 1925 the Union Pacific Railroad opened another transcontinental branch from Granger, Wyoming via Boise, Idaho to Portland, Oregon. Through mergers and acquisitions many other lines have been opened to make it one of America's premier railroads.

Route
Some of the towns, with their modern county names, built along the original transcontinental Union Pacific Railroad from east to west were:

Nebraska


 * Omaha (earlier known as Elkhorn), Douglas County
 * Grand Island, Hall County
 * Kearney, Buffalo County
 * North Platte, Lincoln County
 * Ogallala, Keith County
 * Sidney, Cheyenne County

Colorado


 * Julesburg, Sedgwick County
 * Feeder line to Denver, Denver County

Wyoming


 * Hillsdale, Laramie County
 * Pine Bluffs (Part of Cheyenne), Laramie County
 * Cheyenne, Laramie County
 * Laramie, Albany County
 * Rawlins, Crook County
 * Green River, Sweetwater County

Utah


 * Ogden, Weber County
 * Brigham City, Box Elder County
 * Corinne, Box Elder County
 * Promontory Summit, Box Elder County

Ogden connected the Central Pacific tracks to


 * Sacramento, Sacramento County, California

Settlers and Records
Settlers using the Union 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 Union Pacific Railroad passenger list records.

Websites

 * Wikipedia - Union Pacific Railroad
 * Union Pacific - including history, photos, financing, construction, post-construction, and mergers
 * American Western History Musuems - Union Pacific Railroad