Exploring the Central Pacific Railroad Route to the Summit
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- Опубликовано: 27 авг 2024
- • Conquering the Sierras...
A recent RUclips video dives deeper into the Chinese who helped build the Central Pacific RR leg of the Transcontinental Railroad. We explore six historic stops of the Central Pacific Railroad as the CPRR constructed the rail line up into the Sierra Nevada: Rocklin, Auburn, Colfax, Cape Horn, Dutch Flat and the summit tunnels.
I made an error in the video! Speaker of the House S. Colfax never visited his namesake town. Colfax along with two newspaper reporters and the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois travelled 2,000 miles to San Francisco. Except for a two hour train ride from just west of Placerville to Sacramento and Sacramento to San Francisco by way of steamboat, their journey was by stagecoach. From Virginia City over the Sierra, there were two toll roads. The southern route looped south of Lake Tahoe. This was the route chosen. A big reception was held in Sacramento. It was in Sac that the Central Pacific Railroad named a new town Colfax. Colfax was next to Illinois Town. Colfax was the winning name!
I Live in Applegate and been to every one of your pictures in your presentation. My dad was a contractor in Auburn and one day, when we thought we were smart we went down to the bloomer cut my brother and I had no idea it was there we couldnt have been more than 11 years old. People had taken old spikes and carved there names into the decomposed granite. I never thought men had dug that by shovel and pixaxe! Thank you for this presentation !
Thanks for your kind words.
thank you for the appropriately mentioning sacrifices and contribution of the many unnamed Chinese workers who died in building track paths and excavating tunnels in and through the mountains during construction of the rail line ~
I’d like to see the Summit Tunnels made into either a National Monument, State Park or County Park. Dedicated to the thousands of Chinese rail workers.
I would suggest that what is needed is to make the Summit Tunnels a National or State Park.
I’ve sent notes to one and all. Please do the same.
And now the leftists say it’s demeaning and racist to include Chinese in the recognition. They want them called Sierra Tunnels with no mention of Asian participation of any kind. China wall will have to be renamed as well.
Fantastic video. Full of historical info. Great narration!
Thank you very much! Reading Ambrose's book now.
Quite nice! Thanks for the fine narration!
Thank You…I keep suggesting that the summit tunnels become either a state or federal park. I have never received a reason why not!
Michael, what an excellent job! My great-grandfather was a Chinese headman and labor contractor who worked on the Central Pacific RR from 1865 to 1866 and quit because his crew had been reassigned to Summit Tunnel and there was snow on the ground in August of 1866. They missed the worst snowstorms in history. You truly captured what it is like to see their legacy in person!
Thank You for your kind words. There is an effort to turn the tunnels into a National Monument. I’d suggest that you write your senators and representatives to support this effort. At the very least the tunnels should become a state park. Did your great grandfather leave any documentation of his work on the transcontinental railroad?
For a complete discussion of the Chinese Rail workers’ sacrifices in building the Transcontinental Railroad, please read “Ghosts of Gold Mountain” by Gordon H Chang.
Michael, I watched your interesting presentation and I wonder if you would like to come talk to our Colonial Dames of the XVII Century meeting. We meet in the restaurant at Sun City Roseville (we have our own room). I think our ladies would be interested in learning more about how their 17th century ancestor's descendants made their way to California. Email me @ pat.kinzie@gmail.com. Thank you. Pat
Hi Pat: I have spoken twice at Sun City. I'm scheduled to speak again in April 2020. Is there a specific ethnic group you wish to research? I do have info on Japanese, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese (Most on Japanese). I'm weak on other groups or immigration from specific states. Thanks for your kind remarks
Damned good video!!! Not only very informative, but technically well done!
Thank you…My next video is on the exciting topic of rice cultivation in CA. We are the second largest producer of rice… I thought the tale could be told in 15 minutes…. Much longer tale. Let me know how you enjoy my other tales. Lots of places to visit in Northern CA.
Enjoyable video - I am planning to hike along the Trans RR line from Rocklin to Truckee this summer and this video has even jazzed me more!
Be sure to read “Ghosts of Gold Mountain” by Gordon Chang. My video “Granite, Gold, Water, Technology: Birth of Modern CA.” has a section on Colfax’s visit to CA. I explain how the town of Colfax received his name.
If you have time check out Nevada City’s narrow gage museum. The narrow gage connected Colfax with Nevada City. There is also a small museum in Folsom detailing the first rail line: The Sacramento Valley Line.
Theo Judah was first hired by the SVL. Let me know if you need any other sources.
@@michaelstark1 Thank you, Michael. I have that one on my iPad waiting for me to finish "A Work of Giants". I'll look into the other ones you mentioned, too. Funny how savvy L. Stanford was to ummm, conveniently rename Illinois Town to a name that just happened to be the same as a leading US politician's! :-)
One more stop: The California State Railroad Museum / Sacramento
@@michaelstark1 Visited there some years ago and will start my trip there - then leapfrog to Rocklin to start the hike.
There is a RR museum in Colfax. Another museum in Dutch Flat. For Dutch Flat you might need an appointment.
Our host is a retired middle school history teacher. I know this because he taught in the class right next to the one I was in, in 1977. Tempus fugit!
Regards,
Alan Tomlinson
Castillero Jr. High School 1978
Teacher never retires... They just change their audience. Let’s catch up.
Ten dollars for parking is highway robbery, lol Thank you! 👍🏼❤️
CA State charges ten dollars for parking…. We have to keep our state parks open which requires funding. My big gripe: Outhouses at our State Parks are poorly maintained. A visit to Japan’s parks puts us to shame.
@@michaelstark1 Amen
@davidhuber63...indeed...not one, but two eagerly-driven state vehicles were ready to collect our ten dollars...we declined, in search of other easily reached artifacts, and somebody did not like the term "Yankee" Jim's Bridge on a road sign.
@@darrellborland119 must have been a reb, lol, I support your decision.
Excellent video on the building of the CPRR. Thank you for posting it.
Been to every place you talked about with the exception of Bloomer Cut and Summit Tunnel.
Bloomers Cut is best viewed through old photos. One story is that the railroad needed a PR stop as funds were low. So, they chose Bloomers Cut. The tunnels are an excellent viewing experience. I wish either the federal government, state or county would make this a protected park. I’m afraid the graffiti and foot traffic will destroy this historical location. Thank you for visiting.
Why were the rails removed? From my understanding, the RR needed more height for the new rail cars as cars came stacked too high for the old tunnels. RR wanted federal $. When none came, the RR moved the line and abandoned the tunnels. Good for us as the tunnels are a national treasure and should remain as a monument to the Chinese construction workers. I believe the tunnels should be a national park / monument. As noted... This answer was from my memory. If there are other reasons, please drop a note.
Thank you for sharing i really enjoyed your video you did amazing job 😀👍
Well here I am again 10 months later enjoying you videos again. I thought a lot about what you told me earlier about how schools stop teaching California hist in the 4th grade! I wish they could teach hist in 11th or 12th grade, so the younger gen could understand how amazing California hist is and was.
Hello Mr. Stark-- the photo you use at 6:04 that you're inferring is Mr. Colfax is actually Theodore Judah, who surveyed and advocated for the CPRR route. By the time of construction, Judah was gone. He died of yellow fever in NYC in 1863.
Yikes...I’ll have to take another look. Yes, Judah died heading back to the East Coast. He was trying to buy out the Big Four. Colfax would become VP under Grant. He got caught receiving money from the railroads. Out of politics he toured giving speeches on Abe Lincoln.
As for the error, I seem to screw up once in each video. I do have my peer reviewers. They missed it as well. There is also one more big error...
Next video is on limestone.
Thanks for viewing. I do appreciate when someone finds an error. “Dead men tell no tales”
Mike
@@michaelstark1 A public domain image of Colfax is available at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schuyler_Colfax#/media/File:Schuyler_Colfax,_photo_portrait_seated,_c1855-1865.jpg
Also, you might consider that at 2:41, fuelwood is measured in "cords" not musical "chords." Sorry to be picky, but accuracy kind of important. Best wishes.
@@michaelstark1 poor "Crazy" Judah! Too bad he didn't live long enough to disprove the naysayers!
Yep... Judah died having caught Yellow Fever crossing the Panama Isthmus. He had intended to buy out the Big Four. Oscar Lewis "The Big Four" has interesting info as to what happened after the rail completion. New book: "Who Killed Jane Stanford?" by Richard White. Next on my reading list.
Errors do creep into videos. A friend of mine worked in post production in Hollywood. $ millions of dollar projects. Alan is the worst ;person to view a Hollywood picture with. He points out all the errors in photography. I try my best, but errors do occur. I do enjoy heads up notices. It keeps me on my toes.
Thank you for your good works. Actually, the rails were joined at Promontory Summit, not the Point, located further away, a small correction. "Over The Range" book talks to that issue of historic confusion. Will be following your advice soon, and also looking for CPRR artifacts in NV. Any advice would be appreciated, since THAT area is not as well defined. Palisades seems to be a good destination, after Donner. Thanks, again.
That was cool. Thank you for posting.
My error: Promontory Point or Summit? First reporting of the event said “Promontory Point”….They were in error. The correct site is Promontory Summit!
Your are a good Man doing good, be cautious of people seaking misdirected revenge.❤️👍🙏
ruclips.net/video/oixF_YnpImw/видео.html
To complete the tale, the above website introduces the story of Chinese laborers who made the Central Pacific Railroad a success.
The engineers don't wave from the trains anymore, not like they did back in 1954.
Neither do the hobos nor the dude in the caboose wave.
Right,my friend
So why did the SP remove the the rails on track 1 (tunnel 6) in 1993? Can't be because of a rail shortage, there's video showing SP installing new rail in 1994 just west of the summit!!
I think I sent a reply? As I understand, the RR was going to enlarge the tunnels. The hight of the stacked shipping contains required a massive tunneling project. I remember they asked for federal assistance and was denied. So…They rerouted the rails.
@@michaelstark1 well, track 2 and tunnel 41 where there since the 20s and UP had to enlarge most of them. Just still doesn't make sense. The only official one I heard was from a retired SP worker, he said that too much salt was getting down to Donner lake! With today's sensitive world, that would of been big news....
Michael. I would like to talk with you concerning your knowledge of artifact-hunting, toward my pursuit of similar enjoyment. We conversed last year, I think. Would you be so kind as to let me know how to reach you? Thanks from an "Original Transcon RR" enthusiast, Darrell.
Artifact collecting can be illegal. This is especially true on railroad property, federal lands or state lands. My joy is simply photography and story telling. Any artifacts found should be given to local museums for safe keepings.
@@michaelstark1 Thanks Michael. My question was not with "intent to take anything away"...I actually am trying to figure out how to find ROW's in Nevada, such as Larry Hersh found for his research. Thanks, and reply welcome.
ROW’s ohhhh…. OK. I’ve met with local museums. They have the maps. In CA we have the CA State RR museum archives. I’ve just received from the RR State archive my timetable 1906 travel times from Chico, CA to Houston, Texas. I’m researching how a local farmer went to Texas and retrieved a sac of rice seed. If the museums or state archives fail you, try archive.org . They have time tables. Happy hunting.
@@michaelstark1 Thanks, Michael. We had an awesome time at Grenville Dodge's home last month. Quite an infrastructure to support that historic site. The UP Council Bluffs Museum is just up the street from Grenville's home. They even have the rifle that Jack Casement gave him, upon completion of the RR...looking forward to more of your great videos. Sincerely, Darrell.
east
Man, smh 😔
Those poor Chinese people that lost their life.The graffiti..just adds ..that is too bad as well.
If the tunnels became a National Monument, the tunnels could be rid of graffiti. A trail made to Truckee. An information center. As you leave the tunnels, the views are spectacular.