Railroad in Utah

The Railroad Revolutionizes Transportation

The issue: connecting the eastern United States to the western United States

Solution: laying RR tracks to connect the country with a Transcontinental Railroad

Advantages: speed and convenience

Two Railroad Companies

Union Pacific- began laying tracks west from Omaha, Nebraska

Central Pacific- began laying tracks east from Sacramento, California

Meeting place: Ogden or Salt Lake City, Utah

Two Railroad Companies

Union Pacific Central Pacific

Hired immigrants from Ireland and other countries

Hired immigrants from China

Laid track on flat prairie land (at first)

Passed through the Sierra Nevada Mountains

Had to purchase lumber and have it shipped to create tracks (few trees where track was laid)

Had access to lots more lumber in the area

Needed help from Utah once they reached the Rocky Mountains

Raced across the Great Basin of Nevada faster than expected

Dangerous Work

Workers of both Railroad Companies dealt with harsh weather (extreme heat or bitter cold)

Many died from the cold in the mountains and from accidents while setting off dynamite to blast through mountains

Brigham Young Helps the Union Pacific

Young accepts contract for $2 million to build a roadbed from Echo Canyon through Weber Canyon

They promised to run the tracks through Ogden & Salt Lake City

President Ulysses S. Grant wanted the tracks to follow trails just north of Ogden so it didn’t initially run through SLC

Transcontinental Railroad

The Race Was On!

The tracks from both railroad lines finally met on May 10, 1869 at the top of Promontory Summit, north of the Great Salt Lake

The Golden Spike (actually made of gold!) was driven in to complete the merging of the two railroads

Later, both railroads went to Ogden

The Railroad Changes Utah

Trains were very important for moving raw materials from mines to manufacturing centers

Trains created new markets for produce & meat

The railroad brought in goods that were much cheaper than those made in Utah

Trains increased the number of converts, settlers and tourists coming to Utah

Rail lines linked major cities