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America's first steam locomotive made its debut.
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Asa Whitney, entrepreneur of New York presented a resolution in congress proposing the federal funding of a railroad in which would strech to the Pacific.
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9,000 miles of track had been laid east of Missouri River.
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Theodor Judah, Engineer solves Pacific Railroad when he reached Donner Pass. He recognizes it as ideal construction a line through Sierra Nevada.
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President Lincoln signs the bill, Pacific Railroad Act. This tasked the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroad companies to build a transcontinental railroad linking the United States, east to west.
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California Governor Leland Stanford shoveled the first load of dirt at teh Central Pacific groundbreaking ceremony in Sacramento.
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Thomas C. Durant illegally manipulated a controlling interest in Union Pacific Railroad Company wand was appointed the Railroad's Vice President and General Manager.
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The Union Pacific breaks grounds in Omaha Nebraska.
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Charles Crocker the man in charge of construction for the Central Pacific hired around 50,000 Chinese workers due to the difficulty of labor.
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The Union Pacific finally began to move westward.
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The Union Pacific was in Wyoming covering four times as much grounds as Central Pacific.
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Working within only miles of each other, President Ulysses S. Grand announced he would withhold federal funds until the two railroad companies agreed on a meeting point.
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The two companies raced toward each other taking seven years from Sacramento, California and Omaha, Nebraska. While taking a great risk this lead to a meet up in Promontory, Utah.
