Flashback Friday - 1869 Transcontinental Railroad Completed
On May 10th, 1869, the race to complete the great transcontinental railroad came to an end with a golden spike. In three long and difficult years, the two companies, Union Pacific and Central Pacific laid nearly 2000 miles of track ultimately meeting in Promontory, Utah. It was known there was a need for this railroad since 1832, but challenges arose in congressional funding and the civil war. In 1853, congress finally approved funds to survey the land. However, with the rising tensions from the North and South, progress was slow going. It wasn't until 1862, one year into the civil war that a Republican-controlled Congress passed the Pacific Railroad Act, which guaranteed public land grants and loans to the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific railroad companies. In 1866, construction finally began, but was not without it challenges. Terrible weather, long harsh work hours, Indian raids and getting over/through the Sierra Nevada mountains are just a few of the hardship