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73-574: The TV Tower was built in 1957 by Tachū Naitō , a Japanese architect who is famous for planning the Tokyo Tower , with the total construction costs of 170 million yen. Since the transmission facility was established on the Mount Teine , The Sapporo TV Tower has worked as a repeater of AIR-G and FM North Wave , a radio station based in Sapporo. In 1961, digital clocks were installed at

146-550: A Sacramento hardware merchant, heard Judah's presentation about the railroad at the St. Charles Hotel in November 1860. He invited Judah to his office to hear his proposal in detail. Huntington persuaded Judah to accept financing from himself and four others: Mark Hopkins , his business partner; James Bailey, a jeweler; Leland Stanford , a grocer; and Charles Crocker , a dry-goods merchant. They initially invested $ 1,500 each and formed

219-614: A TV tower. The ground floor of the Sapporo TV Tower houses an information center and stores. The multipurpose hall and administration office of the Tower are placed on the second floor, and a souvenir shop and restaurant are located on the third floor. The basement connects to the Aurora Town, an underground shopping arcade , and a number of restaurants called the "Tele-chika Gourmet Court" are located. The official mascot of

292-697: A board of directors. These investors became known as The Big Four , and their railroad was called the Central Pacific Railroad . Each eventually made millions of dollars from their investments and control of the Central Pacific Railroad. Before major construction could begin, Judah traveled back to New York City to raise funds to buy out The Big Four. Shortly after arriving in New York, Judah died on November 2, 1863, of yellow fever that he had contracted while traveling over

365-673: A key figure in the Crédit Mobilier scandal which ultimately led to his removal from the company. Major General Grenville M. Dodge served as the chief engineer of Union Pacific during the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad. In 1865 while fighting against Native-American tribes he would discover a pass in the Laramie Mountains , which would serve as a vital passage for the First Transcontinental Railroad. Dodge would serve in

438-603: A lobbying office in the United States Capitol , received an audience with President James Buchanan , and represented the Convention before Congress. Judah returned to California in 1860. He continued to search for a more practical route through the Sierra suitable for a railroad. In mid-1860, local miner Daniel Strong had surveyed a route over the Sierra for a wagon toll road, which he realized would also suit

511-815: A member of the Japan Academy in 1960 and he was awarded a distinction for cultural merit in 1962 and the second-class Order of the Rising Sun in 1964. On August 25, 1970 at 9:05 AM, Tachū Naitō died in the National Tokyo First Hospital, now the International Medical Center of Japan , at 84 years of age. His remains were buried in the graveyard of the Naitō family in Tamareien Cemetery. His epitaph

584-671: A mile (1.6 km) of track a day or more in 1866 as the Union Pacific finally started moving rapidly west. Building bridges to cross creeks and rivers was the main source of delays. Near where the Platte River splits into the North Platte River and South Platte River , the railroad bridged the North Platte River over a 2,600-foot-long (790 m) bridge (nicknamed ½ mile bridge). It was built across

657-410: A plan of reconstructing a new TV tower of 650 metres high has come up. In the plan, the area of the supposed Tower would be 7800 m², and the height of the observation deck is supposed to be at 500 metres. The height of the new Tower will exceed Tokyo Skytree (634 meters) if it is realized. The new Tower building also plans to house hotel rooms, offices, and sports facilities in addition to functioning as

730-399: A profit on the railroad business for many months, possibly years. They determined to make a profit on the construction itself. Both groups of financiers formed independent companies to complete the project, and they controlled management of the new companies along with the railroad ventures. This self-dealing allowed them to build in generous profit margins paid out by the railroad companies. In

803-578: A railroad. He described his discovery in a letter to Judah. Also in 1860, Charles Marsh , a surveyor, civil engineer and water company owner, met with civil engineer Judah. Marsh, who had already surveyed a potential railroad route between Sacramento and Nevada City, California, a decade earlier, went with Judah into the Sierra Nevada Mountains. There they examined the Henness Pass Turnpike Company's route (Marsh

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876-490: A rapid settlement of the West. The total area of the land grants to the Union Pacific and Central Pacific was larger than the area of the state of Texas: federal government land grants totaled about 130,000,000 acres, and state government land grants totaled about 50,000,000 acres. It was far from a given that the railroads operating in the thinly-settled west would make enough money to repay their construction and operation. If

949-525: A report recommending support for a proposed Pacific railroad bill: The necessity that now exists for constructing lines of railroad and telegraphic communication between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of this continent is no longer a question for argument; it is conceded by every one. In order to maintain our present position on the Pacific, we must have some more speedy and direct means of intercourse than

1022-772: A southern route near the 42nd parallel . Curtis tried and failed again in 1861. After the southern states seceded from the Union, the House of Representatives approved the bill on May 6, 1862, and the Senate on June 20. Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 into law on July 1. It authorized creation of two companies, the Central Pacific in the west and the Union Pacific in the mid-west, to build

1095-406: Is at present afforded by the route through the possessions of a foreign power. The U.S. Congress was strongly divided on where the eastern terminus of the railroad should be—in a southern or northern city. Three routes were considered: Once the central route was chosen, it was immediately obvious that the western terminus should be Sacramento. But there was considerable difference of opinion about

1168-402: Is on the right side, and a bronze statue is on the left. First transcontinental railroad America's first transcontinental railroad (known originally as the " Pacific Railroad " and later as the " Overland Route ") was a 1,911-mile (3,075 km) continuous railroad line built between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern U.S. rail network at Council Bluffs, Iowa , with

1241-709: The Great Basin and hook up with rail lines coming from the East. In 1856, Judah wrote a 13,000-word proposal in support of a Pacific railroad and distributed it to Cabinet secretaries, congressmen and other influential people. In September 1859, Judah was chosen to be the accredited lobbyist for the Pacific Railroad Convention, which indeed approved his plan to survey, finance and engineer the road. Judah returned to Washington in December 1859. He had

1314-589: The Missouri River . Omaha was chosen by President Abraham Lincoln as the location of its Transfer Depot where up to seven railroads could transfer mail and other goods to Union Pacific trains bound for the west. Trains were initially transported across the Missouri River by ferry before they could access the western tracks beginning in Omaha , Nebraska Territory . The river froze in the winter, and

1387-528: The Pacific Railroad (called the Memorial of Asa Whitney ) was first introduced to Congress by Representative Zadock Pratt . Congress did not immediately act on Whitney's proposal. Theodore Judah was a fervent supporter of the central route railroad. He lobbied vigorously in favor of the project and undertook the survey of the route through the rugged Sierra Nevada, one of the chief obstacles of

1460-775: The Panama Railroad 's transit of the Isthmus of Panama . The CPRR Engineering Department was taken over by his successor Samuel S. Montegue, as well as Canadian trained Chief Assistant Engineer (later Acting Chief Engineer) Lewis Metzler Clement who also became Superintendent of Track. To allow the companies to raise additional capital, Congress granted the railroads a 200-foot (61 m) right-of-way corridor, lands for additional facilities like sidings and maintenance yards. They were also granted alternate sections of government-owned lands—6,400 acres (2,600 ha) per mile (1.6 km)—for 10 miles (16 km) on both sides of

1533-679: The Tokyo Tower . Naitō was born on 12 June 1886, in Minami-Alps , Yamanashi Prefecture . Naitō attended the Old System Kofu Middle School (presently Yamanashi Prefectural Kofu First High School), he passed high school, then attended the Tokyo Imperial University (presently the University of Tokyo ). Naitō started out studying naval architecture , but then turned to architecture due to

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1606-740: The Tsutenkaku in 1956, the Sapporo TV Tower and Beppu Tower in 1957, and the Tokyo Tower in 1958. Naitō held many positions and was recognized with many awards throughout his career. In 1938, he became the chairman of the Japan Welding Society. In 1941 he was named the chair of the Architectural Institute of Japan and in 1954 became a member of the Science Council of Japan . Naitō became

1679-688: The U.S. Congress a "Proposal for a Charter to Build a Railroad from Lake Michigan to the Pacific Ocean", seeking a congressional charter to support his idea. Congress agreed to support the idea. Under the direction of the Department of War , the Pacific Railroad Surveys were conducted from 1853 through 1855. These included an extensive series of expeditions of the American West seeking possible routes. A report on

1752-540: The United States House of Representatives for Iowa's 5th District from 1867 until 1869. During this time he would push for legislation to help the construction of the railroad. In February 1860, Iowa Representative Samuel Curtis introduced a bill to fund the railroad. It passed the House but died when it could not be reconciled with the Senate version because of opposition from southern states who wanted

1825-530: The shipbuilding depression after the Russo-Japanese War . He studied with Kino Toshikata and graduated in 1910. In 1913, he became a professor at Waseda University . In 1916, he went to America as an international student where he devised his seismic theory of the earthquake-proof wall. While on the First transcontinental railroad , he made observations about the movements of the luggage depending on

1898-740: The CPRR raised their wage to $ 35 (equivalent to $ 760 in 2023) per month after a strike. CPRR came to see the advantage of good workers employed at low wages: "Chinese labor proved to be Central Pacific's salvation." The Central Pacific broke ground on January 8, 1863. Because of insufficient transportation alternatives from the manufacturing centers on the east coast, virtually all of their tools and machinery including rails, railroad switches , railroad turntables , freight and passenger cars, and steam locomotives were transported first by train to east coast ports. They were then loaded on ships which either sailed around South America's Cape Horn , or offloaded

1971-459: The Great Lakes to northern California, paid for by the sale of land to settlers along the route. Whitney traveled widely to solicit support from businessmen and politicians, printed maps and pamphlets, and submitted several proposals to Congress, all at his own expense. In June 1845, he led a team along part of the proposed route to assess its feasibility. Legislation to begin construction of

2044-870: The Pacific Railroad's original western terminus at the Alameda Terminal on September 6, 1869, where they transferred to the steamer Alameda for transport across the Bay to San Francisco. The road's rail terminus was moved two months later to the Oakland Long Wharf , about a mile to the north, when its expansion was completed and opened for passengers on November 8, 1869. Service between San Francisco and Oakland Pier continued to be provided by ferry. The CPRR eventually purchased 53 miles (85 km) of UPRR-built grade from Promontory Summit (MP 828) to Ogden, Utah Territory (MP 881), which became

2117-698: The Pacific coast at the Oakland Long Wharf on San Francisco Bay . The rail line was built by three private companies over public lands provided by extensive U.S. land grants . Building was financed by both state and U.S. government subsidy bonds as well as by company-issued mortgage bonds. The Western Pacific Railroad Company built 132 miles (212 km) of track from the road's western terminus at Alameda / Oakland to Sacramento, California . The Central Pacific Railroad Company of California (CPRR) constructed 690 miles (1,110 km) east from Sacramento to Promontory Summit, Utah Territory . The Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) built 1,085 miles (1,746 km) from

2190-517: The Sapporo TV Tower used to be the most prominent figure in Sapporo, but recently many high-rise buildings have been constructed around the Odori Park, making the Tower less prominent. Tach%C5%AB Nait%C5%8D Tachū Naitō ( 内藤 多仲 , Naitō Tachū , 12 June 1886 – 25 August 1970) was a Japanese architect, engineer, and professor. He was a father of earthquake-proof design and built many broadcasting and observation towers, including

2263-457: The Sapporo TV Tower were renovated in 2002, and the color of walls at the second and third floors were then changed from pale green to dark green. In the second repair of the digital clocks in 2006, the light-emitting diode was adopted, and the advertisement right below the clocks was changed from the "National" to "Panasonic". The Sapporo TV Tower commemorated its 50th anniversary in 2007, and some events and discount campaign were held. Recently,

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2336-401: The Tower is "Tawakkie", and the unofficial character "Terebi-Tōsan" (Television Daddy) is also known. The lift to the observation deck at 90 metres high is located on the third floor, where visitors are required to buy tickets to continue to the observation deck. From the observation deck, the entire view of the Odori Park, Mount Ōkura, and Maruyama are seen. Having the height of 147.2 metres,

2409-560: The U.S. Army instituted active cavalry patrols that grew larger as the Native Americans grew more aggressive. Temporary, " Hell on wheels " towns, made mostly of canvas tents, accompanied the railroad as construction headed west. The Platte River was too shallow and meandering to provide river transport, but the Platte river valley headed west and sloped up gradually at about 6 feet per mile (1.1 m/km), often allowing to lay

2482-568: The Union Pacific. First he touted rumors that his fledgling M&M Railroad had a deal in the works, while secretly buying stock in the depressed Cedar Rapids and Missouri Railroad . Then he circulated rumors that the CR&;M had plans to connect to the Union Pacific, at which point he began buying back the M&;M stock at depressed prices. It is estimated his scams produced over $ 5 million in profits for him and his cohorts. Collis Huntington ,

2555-468: The advantages of steel rails which lasted much longer than iron rails had not yet been demonstrated. The rails used initially in building the railway were nearly all made of an iron flat-bottomed modified I-beam profile weighing 56 or 66 pounds per yard (27.8 or 32.7 kg/m). The railroad companies were intent on completing the project as rapidly as possible at a minimum cost. Within a few years, nearly all railroads converted to steel rails . Time

2628-738: The best route. However, the survey was detailed enough to determine that the best southern route lay south of the Gila River boundary with Mexico in mostly vacant desert, through the future territories of Arizona and New Mexico . This in part motivated the United States to complete the Gadsden Purchase . In 1856, the Select Committee on the Pacific Railroad and Telegraph of the US House of Representatives published

2701-703: The building's completion in 1923, the Great Kantō earthquake happened. This structure withstood the damage and Naitō included this fact in his lectures as the effectiveness of his earthquake-proof design theory had been proven. Other than the Industrial Bank of Japan, he worked on the Kabuki-za and the Okuma auditorium. Naitō designed many broadcasting towers as well, the Nagoya TV Tower in 1954,

2774-542: The cargo at the Isthmus of Panama , where it was sent across via paddle steamer and the Panama Railroad . The Panama Railroad gauge was 5 feet (1,524 mm), which was incompatible with the 4-foot- 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 -inch (1,435 mm) gauge used by the CPRR equipment. The latter route was about twice as expensive per pound. Once the machinery and tools reached the San Francisco Bay area, they were put aboard river paddle steamers which transported them up

2847-489: The chief financiers of the Union Pacific. With the end of the Civil War and increased government supervision in the offing, Durant hired his former M&M engineer Grenville M. Dodge to build the railroad, and the Union Pacific began a mad dash west. Former Union General John "Jack" Casement was hired as the new Chief Engineer of the Union Pacific. He equipped several railroad cars to serve as portable bunkhouses for

2920-574: The eastern terminus. Three locations along 250 miles (400 km) of Missouri River were considered: Council Bluffs had several advantages: It was well north of the Civil War fighting in Missouri; it was the shortest route to South Pass in the Rockies in Wyoming; and it would follow a fertile river that would encourage settlement. Durant had hired the future president Abraham Lincoln in 1857 when he

2993-478: The explorations described alternative routes and included an immense amount of information about the American West , covering at least 400,000 sq mi (1,000,000 km ). It included the region's natural history and illustrations of reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. The report did not include detailed topographic maps of potential routes needed to estimate the feasibility, cost and select

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3066-463: The federal government to issue 30-year U.S. government bonds (at 6% interest). The railroad companies were paid $ 16,000 per mile (approximately $ 543,000 per mile today) for track laid on a level grade, $ 32,000 per mile (about $ 1,085,000 per mile today) for track laid in foothills, and $ 48,000 per mile (or about $ 1,628,000 per mile today) for track laid in mountains. The two railroad companies sold similar amounts of company-backed bonds and stock. While

3139-552: The federal legislation for the Union Pacific required that no partner was to own more than 10 percent of the stock, the Union Pacific had problems selling its stock. One of the few subscribers was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leader Brigham Young , who also supplied crews for building much of the railroad through Utah. Durant manipulated market prices on his stocks by spreading rumors about which railroads he had an interest in were being considered for connection with

3212-550: The ferries were replaced by sleighs. A bridge was not built until 1872, when the 2,750-foot-long (840 m) Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge was completed. After the rail line's initial climb through the Missouri River bluffs west of Omaha and out of the Missouri River Valley, the route bridged the Elkhorn River and then crossed over the new 1,500-foot (460 m) Loup River bridge as it followed

3285-710: The final 130 miles (210 km) of the Sacramento River to the new state capital in Sacramento . Many of these steam engines, railroad cars, and other machinery were shipped dismantled and had to be reassembled. Wooden timbers for railroad ties, trestles, bridges, firewood, and telegraph poles were harvested in California and transported to the project site. The Union Pacific Railroad did not start construction for another 18 months until July 1865. They were delayed by difficulties obtaining financial backing and

3358-461: The following six months, the last leg from Sacramento to San Francisco Bay was completed. The resulting coast-to-coast railroad connection revolutionized the settlement and economy of the American West . It brought the western states and territories into alignment with the northern Union states and made transporting passengers and goods coast-to-coast considerably quicker, safer and less expensive. The first transcontinental rail passengers arrived at

3431-583: The four steam locomotives they had purchased. After the American Civil War ended in 1865, the Union Pacific still competed for railroad supplies with companies who were building or repairing railroads in the south, and prices rose. At that time in the United States, there were two primary standards for track gauge, as defined by the distance between the two rails. In Britain, the gauge was 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ) standard gauge , and this had been adopted by

3504-434: The heavy manual labor since only a very limited amount of that work could be done by animals, simple machines, or black powder. The railroad also hired some black people escaping the aftermath of the American Civil War. Most of the black and white workers were paid $ 30 per month and given food and lodging. Most Chinese were initially paid $ 31 per month and provided lodging, but they preferred to cook their own meals. In 1867

3577-442: The height of 65 metres from the ground, which were donated by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. , a Japanese electronics manufacturer. This installation was suggested by the founder of the company Konosuke Matsushita , who thought that these digital clocks would draw a great attention to the Tower. These digital clocks, installed at four sides of the Tower, have been repaired two times: in 1998 and 2006. The interior and exterior of

3650-412: The interchange point between trains of the two roads. The transcontinental line became popularly known as the Overland Route after the name of the principal passenger rail service to Chicago that operated over the length of the line until 1962. Among the early proponents of building a railroad line that would connect the coasts of the United States was Dr. Hartwell Carver , who in 1847 submitted to

3723-498: The majority of northern railways. However, much of the south had adopted a 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) gauge. Transferring railway cars across a break of gauge required changing out the trucks . Alternatively, cargo was offloaded and reloaded , a time-consuming effort that delayed cargo shipments. For the transcontinental railroad, the builders adopted what is now known as the standard gauge . The Bessemer process and open hearth furnace steel-making were in use by 1865, but

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3796-444: The north side of the Platte River valley west through Nebraska along the general path of the Oregon , Mormon and California Trails . By December 1865, the Union Pacific had only completed 40 miles (64 km) of track, reaching Fremont, Nebraska , and a further 10 miles (16 km) of roadbed. At the end of 1865, Peter A. Dey, Chief Engineer of the Union Pacific, resigned over a routing dispute with Thomas C. Durant , one of

3869-419: The poverty and terrors of the war (especially the Punti–Hakka Clan Wars ) in the Sze Yup districts in the Pearl River Delta of Guangdong province in China. When they proved themselves as workers, the CPRR from that point forward preferred to hire Chinese, and even set up recruiting efforts in Canton . Despite their small stature and lack of experience, the Chinese laborers were responsible for most of

3942-411: The project. In 1852, Judah was chief engineer for the newly formed Sacramento Valley Railroad , the first railroad built west of the Mississippi River . Although the railroad later went bankrupt once the easy placer gold deposits around Placerville, California , were depleted, Judah was convinced that a properly financed railroad could pass from Sacramento through the Sierra Nevada mountains to reach

4015-469: The railroad companies failed to sell the land granted them within three years, they were required to sell it at prevailing government price for homesteads: $ 1.25 per acre ($ 3.09/ha). If they failed to repay the bonds, all remaining railroad property, including trains and tracks, would revert to the U.S. government. To encourage settlement in the west, Congress (1861–1863) passed the Homestead Acts which granted an applicant 160 acres (65 ha) of land with

4088-461: The railroad. Judah, Marsh, Strong, Stanford, Huntington, Hopkins and Crocker, along with James Bailey and Lucius Anson Booth, became the first board of directors of the Central Pacific Railroad. Former ophthalmologist Dr. Thomas Clark "Doc" Durant was nominally only a vice president of Union Pacific, so he installed a series of respected men like John Adams Dix as president of the railroad. While serving as vice president of Union Pacific he would be

4161-414: The railroad. The legislation called for building and operating a new railroad from the Missouri River at Council Bluffs, Iowa , west to Sacramento, California , and on to San Francisco Bay . Another act to supplement the first was passed in 1864. The Pacific Railroad Act of 1863 established the standard gauge to be used in these federally financed railways. To finance the project, the act authorized

4234-442: The requirement that the applicant improve the land. This incentive encouraged thousands of settlers to move west. The federal legislation lacked adequate oversight and accountability. The two companies took advantage of these weaknesses in the legislation to manipulate the project and produce extra profit for themselves. Despite the generous subsidies offered by the federal government, the railroad capitalists knew they would not turn

4307-407: The road's eastern terminus at the Missouri River settlements of Council Bluffs and Omaha, Nebraska , westward to Promontory Summit. The railroad opened for through traffic between Sacramento and Omaha on May 10, 1869, when CPRR President Leland Stanford ceremonially tapped the gold "Last Spike" (later often referred to as the " Golden Spike ") with a silver hammer at Promontory Summit . In

4380-611: The route for the railroad over the Sierra Nevada through Clipper Gap and Emigrant Gap , over Donner Pass , and south to Truckee . They discovered a way across the Sierras that was gradual enough to be made suitable for a railroad, although it still needed a lot of work. Four northern California businessmen formed the Central Pacific Railroad : Leland Stanford , (1824–1893), President; Collis Potter Huntington , (1821–1900), Vice President; Mark Hopkins , (1813–1878), Treasurer; Charles Crocker , (1822–1888), Construction Supervisor. All became substantially wealthy from their association with

4453-474: The shallow but wide North Platte resting on piles driven by steam pile drivers . Here they built the "railroad" town of North Platte, Nebraska , in December 1866 after completing about 240 miles (390 km) of track that year. In late 1866, former Major General Grenville M. Dodge was appointed Chief Engineer on the Union Pacific, but hard-working General "Jack" Casement continued to work as chief construction "boss" and his brother Daniel Casement continued as

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4526-422: The state of California and the city of San Francisco. The Central Pacific hired some Canadian and European civil engineers and surveyors with extensive experience building railroads, but it had a difficult time finding semi-skilled labor. Most Caucasians in California preferred to work in the mines or agriculture. The railroad experimented by hiring local emigrant Chinese as manual laborers, many of whom were escaping

4599-412: The track, forming a checkerboard pattern . The railroad companies were given the odd-numbered sections while the federal government retained the even-numbered sections. The exception was in cities, at rivers, or on non-government property. The railroads sold bonds based on the value of the lands, and in areas with good land like the Sacramento Valley and Nebraska sold the land to settlers, contributing to

4672-435: The trains acceleration after noticing the scattered trunks when the train made sudden stops. The lack of partitions in the luggage compartment and the disarray of the trunks led him to the structural idea of the earthquake-proof wall, effectively a shear wall . Using the seismic structural theory that he devised, he engineered the Industrial Bank of Japan 's main office which was designed by Setsu Watanabe. Three months after

4745-400: The unavailability of workers and materials due to the Civil War. Their start point in the new city of Omaha, Nebraska , was not yet connected via railroad to Council Bluffs, Iowa . Equipment needed to begin work was initially delivered to Omaha and Council Bluffs by paddle steamers on the Missouri River . The Union Pacific was so slow in beginning construction during 1865 that they sold two of

4818-416: The very thinly populated Central Nevada Route through central Utah and Nevada. The telegraph lines along the railroad were easier to protect and maintain. Many of the original telegraph lines were abandoned as the telegraph business was consolidated with the railroad telegraph lines. The Union Pacific's 1,087 miles (1,749 km) of track started at MP 0.0 in Council Bluffs, Iowa , on the eastern side of

4891-458: The war. The Union Pacific also utilized their experience repairing and building truss bridges during the war. Most of the semi-skilled workers on the Union Pacific were recruited from the many soldiers discharged from the Union and Confederate armies along with emigrant Irishmen . After 1864, the Central Pacific Railroad received the same Federal financial incentives as the Union Pacific Railroad, along with some construction bonds granted by

4964-707: The west, the four men heading the Central Pacific chose a simple name for their company, the "Contract and Finance Company." In the east, the Union Pacific selected a foreign name, calling their construction firm "Crédit Mobilier of America." The latter company was later implicated in a far-reaching scandal which would greatly effect the railroads purpose, described later. Also, the lack of federal oversight provided both companies with incentives to continue building their railroads past one other, since they were each being paid, and receiving land grants, based on how many miles of track they laid, even though only one track would eventually be used. This tacitly-agreed profiteering activity

5037-481: The workers and gathered men and supplies to push the railroad rapidly west. Among the bunkhouses, Casement added a galley car to prepare meals, and he even provided for a herd of cows to be moved with the railhead and bunk cars to provide fresh meat. Hunters were hired to provide buffalo meat from the large herds of American bison. The small survey parties who scouted ahead to locate the roadbed were sometimes attacked and killed by raiding Native Americans. In response,

5110-405: Was a founding director of that company). They measured elevations and distances and discussed the possibility of a transcontinental railroad. Both were convinced that it could be done. Judah, Marsh and Strong then met with merchants and businessmen to solicit investors in their proposed railroad. From January or February 1861 until July, Judah and Strong led a 10-person expedition to survey

5183-420: Was an attorney to represent him in a business matter about a bridge over the Missouri. Now Lincoln was responsible for choosing the eastern terminus, and he relied on Durant's counsel. Durant advocated for Omaha, and he was so confident of the choice that he began buying up land in Nebraska. One of the most prominent champions of the central route railroad was Asa Whitney . He envisioned a route from Chicago and

5256-472: Was captured (probably accidentally) by Union Pacific photographer Andrew J. Russell in his images of the Promontory Trestle construction. Many of the civil engineers and surveyors who were hired by the Union Pacific had been employed during the American Civil War to repair and operate the over 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of railroad line the U.S. Military Railroad controlled by the end of

5329-479: Was not standardized across the United States and Canada until November 18, 1883. In 1865, each railroad set its own time to minimize scheduling errors. To communicate easily up and down the line, the railroads built telegraph lines alongside the tracks. These lines eventually superseded the original First Transcontinental Telegraph which followed much of the Mormon Trail up the North Platte River and across

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