Imagine the time before this great railway was
completed. If you wanted to get from the
Eastern seaboard of our country to the Gold Rush in what was to become the
State of California in 1849, you would either have to book passage on a boat
which would go around South America and especially the treacherous rounding of
Cape Horn and then through the Pacific.
The passage would take anywhere from 6 to 8 months to complete. Or you could take the overland route across
our vast country by horse and covered wagon.
This overland route would take from 4-5 months.
Once the railway was completed a passenger could travel from
New York to San Francisco in a week’s time!
What is so amazing about the accomplishment of the railroad
is the timing of its completion and the sheer engineering feat.
Our country was divided in 1861-1865 by the Civil War. Once the war was over, the country united to
get this completed.
The Union Pacific Railway was started in Omaha. The Central Pacific was started in
Sacramento, CA. The two mountain ranges-
the Sierra Nevadas in California and the Rockies in Colorado-- had to be
conquered.
I was lucky enough to walk through the 20 foot high tunnel
at Summit Peak in the Sierras this summer.
It was 1500 feet long through granite.
It was one of the 15 tunnels needed to go through mountains. It was awe inspiring to see!
Read this highly accessible book for young teens to find out
just how amazing this engineering feat proved to be.
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