Progress of the Railroad
By William Francis Bailey in 1906
The monumental undertaking of constructing the first transcontinental railroad in the United States during the 19th century stands as a testament to human ingenuity, perseverance, and the relentless pursuit of progress. This article delves into the multifaceted process of building this vital artery that connected the East and West coasts, forever changing the landscape and destiny of the nation. The story unfolds with the commencement of grading in July 1864 and the subsequent laying of tracks in the spring of 1865, marking the beginning of a transformative era in American history.
The initial stages of construction were fraught with challenges. The original route, planned directly west of Omaha, Nebraska, proved unsuitable due to the hilly terrain and steep grades. After an investment of $100,000, this route was abandoned. Two alternative paths were surveyed: one heading north and then west, and another extending south towards Bellevue, Kansas, before turning west. The latter, known as the "Ox-bow Route," was eventually chosen by the company despite strong opposition from the residents of Omaha. Their concern was that the company might decide to cross the Missouri River at Bellevue, effectively bypassing Omaha and diminishing its importance.
Despite these early setbacks, progress was made. By September 25, 1865, eleven miles of track had been completed. In November of the same year, a celebratory excursion was organized from Omaha to the end of the track, a distance of fifteen miles. This event, orchestrated by Vice-President Durant, involved an engine and a flat car, carrying approximately twenty distinguished guests on the inaugural inspection trip to Sailing’s Grove. Among the attendees was General William Sherman, who expressed his admiration for the project and voiced his regret that he might not live to witness its completion. The atmosphere was described as enthusiastic, with ample provisions ensuring the enjoyment of all those present.
The early phases of the railroad’s construction were marked by slow progress. Completing the first forty miles took an entire year. Several factors contributed to this delay. The lack of direct rail connections east of Omaha, prior to the arrival of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in January 1867, caused significant expense and delay. Furthermore, the work was novel, the personnel lacked experience, funds were scarce, and the company’s financial credibility was still in its nascent stages. Consequently, the average pace of construction during the initial twelve months was a mere mile per week. The Progress of the Railroad during the initial phases was slower than desired.
The nature of the work took on a distinctly military character, reflected in the presence of numerous individuals with military titles among the superintendents and those in charge. Surveying parties were invariably accompanied by detachments of soldiers, providing protection against potential Indian attacks. Construction trains were well-equipped with rifles and other weaponry, and it was proudly proclaimed that track-laying crews could be swiftly transformed into infantry battalions if needed. A significant proportion of the workers had previously served in various battles, lending a martial atmosphere to the entire operation. The Progress of the Railroad had a paramilitary feel, due to the need to protect against various outside forces.
A contemporary newspaper account vividly illustrates this military-style organization: "The whole organization of the road is semi-military. The men who go ahead (surveyors and locators) are the advance guard; following them is the second line (the graders), cutting through the gorges, grading the road, and building the bridges. Then comes the army’s main body, placing the ties, laying the track, spiking down the rails, perfecting the alignment, ballasting and dressing up, and completing the road for immediate use. Along the line of the completed road are construction trains pushing ‘to the front’ with supplies. The advance limit of the rails is occupied by a train of long box-cars with bunks built within them, in which the men sleep at night and take their meals. Close behind this train come trainloads of ties, rails, spikes, etc., which are thrown off to the side. A light car drawn by a single horse gallops up, is loaded with this material, and then is off again to the front. Two men grasp the forward end of the rail and start ahead with it, the rest of the gang taking hold two by two until it is clear of the car. At the word of command, it is dropped into place, right side up, during which a similar operation has been going on with the rail for the other side – thirty seconds to the rail for each gang, four rails to the minute. As soon as a car is unloaded, it is tipped over to permit another to pass it to the front, and then it is righted again and hustled back for another load."
The description continues: "Close behind the track layers comes the gaugers, then the spikers and bolters. Three strokes to the spike, ten spikes to the rail, 400 rails to the mile. Quick work, you say – but the fellows on the Union Pacific are tremendously in earnest." Another observer noted the "fabulous speed with which the line was built." He described how "ten to fifteen thousand men in great gangs" were scattered across the landscape, "preparing the road-bed with plows, scrapers, shovels, picks, and carts, and among the rocks, with drills and powder, were doing the grading as rapidly as men could stand and move with their tools." Long trains transported ties and rails, which were then transferred to teams and placed on the grade. The Progress of the Railroad was quickened by efficient organization of labor and the use of innovative techniques.
The observer further detailed: "Spikes and rails were reloaded on platform cars and pushed up to the last previously laid rail. With an automatic movement and celerity that was wonderful, practiced hands dropped the fresh rails one after another on the ties exactly in line. Huge sledges sent the spikes home – the car rolled on, and the operation was repeated, while every few minutes, the long heavy train behind sent out a puff of smoke from its locomotive and caught up with its load of material the advancing work. The only limit to the rapidity with which the track could thus be laid was the power of the road behind to bring forward material." This description vividly captures the organized and efficient processes that characterized the later stages of construction.
The following table illustrates the rate of construction, marking significant milestones in the journey to connect the nation:
[Original Table Content Here]
The daily progress of the construction was meticulously reported and disseminated through major newspapers, such as the Chicago Tribune, where updates like "One and nine-tenth miles of track laid yesterday on the Union Pacific Railroad" were regularly featured.
As the line advanced, temporary headquarters were established at various points along the route, serving as operational bases for constructing the sections beyond. These locations experienced temporary booms, with some, like North Platte, Nebraska, flourishing as vital distribution centers. North Platte served as the road’s terminus from the fall of 1866 to June 1867, becoming a hub for railroad laborers, freighters, and others. The town’s population swelled to over 5,000 during the winter, with more than 1,000 buildings.
However, with the line’s completion to Sidney, Wyoming, in June 1867, the more unruly elements migrated, leaving behind a more settled population of around 300 in North Platte. Houses were dismantled, loaded onto cars, and transported to the new site for re-erection, highlighting the transient nature of these railroad towns.
When Cheyenne was designated as the terminus for the winter of 1867-1868, a massive influx of gamblers, prostitutes, and other transient individuals descended upon the town, causing the population to skyrocket to 6,000. Makeshift dwellings sprang up, ranging from "dugouts" to canvas tents and wooden structures. Town lots were sold at exorbitant prices, and gambling and drinking became the primary pastimes. Shootings and theft were commonplace, prompting the more law-abiding residents to form vigilance committees. These committees, operating under "Judge Lynch," dispensed swift and often brutal justice, hanging or shooting twelve desperadoes and sending many more to prison. This drastic action helped to restore order and establish a more decent society.
Benton, Wyoming, became the next headquarters, with a city of 3,000 inhabitants emerging within two weeks in July 1868. It featured a formal layout, five wards, a mayor, a board of aldermen, a daily newspaper, and a comprehensive set of ordinances. Benton served as a hub for freight and passenger services, connecting the East with Idaho, Montana, and Utah. The town boasted numerous saloons, dance halls, and gambling dens, with the "Big Tent" serving as a central venue for dancing and gambling. A visitor described the town as a "Hell on Wheels," populated by a diverse mix of railroad workers, restaurant and saloon keepers, gamblers, and desperadoes. However, after a brief existence of just sixty days, the city was abandoned as the railroad progressed further west.
Other towns, such as Green River, Bryan, Bear River City, and Wasatch, served as successive headquarters. Green River, benefiting from the railroad’s division point and shops, managed to survive, while the others faded into obscurity. Bear River City, once a haven for outlaws, was attacked by the tough element in November 1868 after three thugs were hanged for murder. The attackers burned the jail and the offices of the Frontier Index, a newspaper that had been critical of the lawless element. However, the townspeople fought back, defeating the attackers and leaving fifteen dead in the streets. Today, little remains to indicate that a town of 4,000 or 5,000 people ever existed there.
Rawlins also faced an attempt by the tough element to establish a foothold, but the decent citizens resisted and cleaned up the town. Wasatch, located near the longest tunnel on the railroad, served as a temporary headquarters, but its facilities were later moved to Evanston in 1870.
The supplementary Charter of 1864 removed restrictions on the Central Pacific, allowing them to build 150 miles east of the California boundary. This restriction was further withdrawn in 1866, leaving the meeting point to be determined by the speed of construction of the respective lines. The Progress of the Railroad was now a competition.
Fueled by experience, land grants, government bonds, and the promise of future earnings, the two companies embarked on a race unlike any seen before. This rivalry extended from the company presidents to the laborers, with both sides taking immense pride in their achievements. One expression of this rivalry was the competition to lay the most track in a single day. The Union Pacific initially led with six miles, but the Central Pacific surpassed them with seven.
The Union Pacific then laid seven and a half miles, prompting the Central Pacific to claim they could lay ten miles in one day. Vice-President Durant offered a $10,000 wager, but the Central Pacific accepted the challenge. With only fourteen miles of track remaining, they laid ten miles and 200 feet from seven A.M. to seven P.M., utilizing 4,000 men. The Union Pacific, frustrated, claimed they could have done better with similar preparations, but the opportunity had passed.
The Central Pacific extended their grade east to Echo Canon, while the Union Pacific located their line to the California state line and had graders working as far west as Humboldt Wells, Nevada, 460 miles west of Ogden. However, the line west of Promontory was never built, resulting in an estimated loss of one million dollars. The Central Pacific had a grade established eighty miles east of Promontory Point, thirty miles east of Ogden, while the Union Pacific was laying completed track parallel to their grade.
The prize was immense, and both companies strained every nerve to push their track further. The Central Pacific had the advantage of being closer to their base of supplies and employing the orderly and easily managed Chinese laborers. The Union Pacific, although farther from their base, had railroad communication with manufacturing centers and employed enthusiastic, albeit turbulent, workers led by experienced army veterans.
During the winter of 1868-1869, the Central Pacific had the advantage, with snow sheds protecting their line across the Sierras. In contrast, the Union Pacific was blocked between Cheyenne and Green River for four months. The rate of construction increased dramatically, with over a mile a day being completed in 1865. By 1867, the forces numbered 2,500 graders and 450 track-layers, reaching 12,000 men and 3,000 teams by the spring of 1869.
As the line progressed, roundhouses were built at various locations, along with repair shops at Cheyenne and Laramie. Stations were established approximately fourteen miles apart, equipped with water tanks and windmills. Sidings were constructed at each station, with additional sidings located at intermediate points. Hotels were built at North Platte, Cheyenne, Laramie, and Rawlins to accommodate the public and employees. Eating houses were established at several locations, providing meals for workers and passengers.
The Progress of the Railroad culminated in the completion of a transcontinental link, a monumental achievement that forever altered the course of American history. The Progress of the Railroad facilitated trade, transportation, and communication, uniting the nation in unprecedented ways.