Construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad (1863–1869)

1. Pacific Railroad Act authorizes transcontinental railroad

   Jul 1, 1862Labels: Abraham Lincoln, Pacific Railroad, Union Pacific

   • Natl Archives
   • Britannica

2. Central Pacific breaks ground in Sacramento

   Jan 8, 1863Labels: Central Pacific, Sacramento, Groundbreaking

   • Central Pacific Wiki
   • CPRR Museum

3. Central Pacific lays first rail in Sacramento

   Oct 26, 1863Labels: Central Pacific, Sacramento, Railhead

   • Central Pacific Wiki
   • CPRR Museum

4. Union Pacific construction begins in Omaha

   Dec 2, 1863Labels: Union Pacific, Omaha, Groundbreaking

   • WyoHistory
   • ASCE

5. Pacific Railway Act of 1864 expands subsidies

   Jul 2, 1864Labels: Pacific Railway, Congress, Federal subsidies

   • Britannica

6. Union Pacific lays its first rail westward

   Jul 10, 1865Labels: Union Pacific, Rail laying, Omaha

   • UP Omaha
   • Britannica

7. Union Pacific reaches the 100th meridian milestone

   Oct 1, 1866Labels: Union Pacific, 100th Meridian, Mileage milestone

   • Platte Basin
   • Natl Archives

8. Chinese workers stage major Central Pacific strike

   Jun 25, 1867Labels: Chinese laborers, Central Pacific, Strike

   • AAEP
   • Chinese Strike Wiki

9. Summit Tunnel breakthroughs open Sierra Nevada route

   Aug 30, 1867Labels: Summit Tunnel, Central Pacific, Sierra Nevada

   • UPRR Museum
   • PBS

10. Union Pacific track reaches Cheyenne

    Nov 13, 1867Labels: Union Pacific, Cheyenne, Railhead

    • WyoHistory
    • NPS Archives

11. Promontory Summit chosen as the meeting point

    Apr 1, 1869Labels: Promontory Summit, Meeting point, Subsidy policy

    • NPS Place
    • Utah History

12. Golden Spike ceremony completes the railroad

    May 10, 1869Labels: Golden Spike, Promontory Summit, Completion ceremony

    • Library Congress
    • Natl Archives
    • NYT 1869