Judah - bronze sculpture in Folsom, CA
A bronze sculpture is in the works to honor Theo. Judah in Folsom, CA. to celebrate 150 years of the first railroad west of the Rocky Mountains, the Sacramento Valley Rail Road. The new arrival of modern light rail travel on the same right of way is set for October 15, 2005. This is only 4 months shy of the 150th birthday of the first railroad. We are hoping for a special celebration to occur.
Attached is what we would like to add to the sculpture. We'd like to keep it at a minimum of course.
Ted and Anna are both depicted on the bronze.
Comments?
Bill Anderson, FEDSHRA.
THEODORE DEHONE JUDAH
March 4, 1825 – November 2, 1863
Theodore Judah was asked to come to California as Chief Engineer
to build the first railroad west of the Rocky Mountains, the
Sacramento Valley Rail Road.
The road covered a distance of 22 miles from Sacramento to Negro
Bar now known as the city of Folsom and was completed in
February 1856. Judah also surveyed the city of Folsom, which
became the transportation hub leading to the gold fields of the
Mother Lode as well as the Comstock Lode in Nevada. While
returning east possibly to secure funding for the Central Pacific
Railroad, he fell ill with yellow fever and died at the age of thirty-
eight.
ANNA FERON PIERCE JUDAH
June 30, 1828 – September 2, 1895
Wife, friend and confidante.
Stood by ‘Ted’ through all his endeavors.
posted from CPRR Discussion Group at 8:22 PM
10 Comments:
From: "Kevin" mikadobear45@yahoo.com
... I'd only suggest adding that Anna stood "by Ted through all his endeavors to the end of her days." for she did exactly that. – Kevin
The Memoriam lists Judah's illness as "typhoid fever."
From: "Wendell Huffman" wendellhuffman@hotmail.com
Bill. I think what you have is generally correct.
I tried some time ago to see what I could figure out about Judah's death in terms of the time of day the yellow-fever carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito bites and the schedule of the train across Panama, but I came to the conclusion that I couldn't conclude anything. As [pointed] out, the document closest to the event says typhoid fever. The New York newspaper soon after the steamer reached New York reported an outbreak of small pox at Panama – which only confuses things. It would be interesting sometime to note the date of the first mention of yellow fever in connection with Judah – but I suspect it is after the Panama Canal activity brought yellow fever to the public's attention in connection with Panama. On the other hand Salmonella Typhi is spread through contaminated water or food – and I believe Judah rarely drank water. However, he likely ate something at Panama since they were there from early morning to late afternoon. So, really, either yellow or typhoid fever are possible. Anna said Judah came down with fever the day after they left Aspinwall. That would have been October 18th. I don't know if the duration of fifteen days until his death tells us anything significant.
I think what Kevin said about Anna is good. She made Judah the "hero" he is. I would have sworn her middle name is Ferona, but my correspondece with members of the Pierce family has it the way you do – Feron.
Recognizing the possibility that this statue will show Anna and Theodore full height, I share the description of Judah by Benjamin F. Leete (Judah's assistant on the California Central): "Judah was a slender man, a small, slender man."
Do we know that Anna (or anyone) ever called Judah "Ted"? Somehow that just doesn't sound very 19th century. I imagine Anna calling Judah "Mr. Judah" all her life.
Wendell
From: "Bill Anderson" bill@fedshra.org
Thanks all for the support in recognizing Theodore and Anna Judah. The sculpture that will be placed at the Historic Folsom Station (Regional Transit's light rail extension) will be placed at the west end of the Railroad Block just yards from the restored SVRR turntable. Sculptor Philip Sciortino will place his work on a large granite stone. Philip approached us with this question: Who besides Joseph Folsom, Alexander Leidesdorff and Charles Wilson Played a major part in Judah's success? Immediately Anna came to mind. Philip was pleased with this approach. Women were not recognized then for their efforts.
The bronze, approximately 6ft. high will depict a 4-4-0 steam locomotive on a trestle surrounded by busts of the Judah's, a native American, a Chinese worker and a Negro miner.
Kevin....We've been approached by DMJM+Harris for an article in Rail Magazine on the history of the upcoming events. We also are planning a story for Trains Magazine.
Regards,
Bill Anderson
I have some qualms about referring to the present turntable in Folsom as the "SVRR turntable." While the site dates to the SVRR and their turntable, the present turntable represents at earliest a mid 1880s CP/SP standard turntable, a specific design used by CP/SP from the mid 1880s through the early 1900s. It is not even 1860s or 1870s.
Kyle K. Wyatt
Curator of History & Technology
California State Railroad Museum
111 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
My work address is: kwyatt@parks.ca.gov
My personal address is: kylewyatt@aol.com
[Links added]
From: "Bill Anderson" bill@fedshra.org
The current turntable rests on the original SVRR pivot stone built for the 1856 table.
Bill
Yes, but the original pivot stone, I believe, is buried under a later granite pivot for the 1880s SP turntable, just as the original pit walls were superceded by raised and wider new pit walls (with the original pit walls perhaps trimmed down a bit, too).
And all of that is buried under the present concrete pivot base and new pit material which is raised above all the old material.
The only actual SVRR heritage material is completely out of view, as is all original SP 1880s material (including the 1880s granite pivot stone). And all visible parts represents SP 1880s design elements.
Kyle K. Wyatt
Curator of History & Technology
California State Railroad Museum
111 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
My work address is: kwyatt@parks.ca.gov
My personal address is: kylewyatt@aol.com
From: "Wendell Huffman" wendellhuffman@hotmail.com
Frankly, it has been so long since I have been to Folsom I do not know what is actually exposed.
The original SVRR turntable was of "deep pit"/"deck bridge" construction. The original brick wall of that pit was exposed during the recent excavation. While the remains of that wall still exist, I do not know whether it is visible now.
In 1867 a new turntable was built on the same location. Because of the newspaper's comment on its ease of operation I believe it to have been a center-bearing "gallows" design, essentially identical to the 51-foot model then standard on the Central Pacific. Such a design – of larger diameter than the original – would have required the removal of the top foot or so of the original pit wall. Because the new design required a shallow pit, the construction required a raised center bearing support – probably on top of the original center bearing foundatrion. That 1867 granite center bearing pier was also exposed during the recent excavation. I do not know whether it remains visible, or whether it was covered or replaced with a concrete pier.
If either the 1867 granite pier or the remaining portion of the 1856 pit wall are visible, then one might indeed point to them and say they are remains of SVRR turntable structure (though technically not the turntable itself). The SVRR existed until 1877 when it was superceded by the Sacramento & Placerville. If both of those elements are covered, then really what one sees is a reconstruction of a CP-standard 56-foot tuntable on the site of the various SVRR/S&P turntables.
As I have mentioned before, I believe it possible that the remains of the original 1855 SVRR turntable at Sacramento may remain buried at the southwest corner of Front and R street. To my knowledge, no structure requiring a new foundation was ever built on that location. That property was mostly used as a lumber yard. Unlike the Folsom turntable, which was replaced two or three times, the Sacramento turntable was simply abandoned in or after 1866 when the SVRR was standard gauged and their locomotives could use the CP locomotive facilities. It is even possible that the original turntable bridge itself was simply buried in its pit rather than otherwise being scrapped.
Wendell
From: KyleWyatt@aol.com
Subject: Re: Folsom Turntable
Referencing Wendell's write up on Folsom turntables available on FEDS web site, I believe the present turntable represents the 1891 turntable.
When the present turntable was installed, the Office of Historic Preservation required that a thick concrete cap be placed on top of the old granite base to "protect" the historic material. This raises the elevation of the entire turntable significantly (making the turntable not easily usable by any revived railroad operation to the site). Most of the pit was also filled in to cover and protect the historic pit walls. There is a small section of original wall that was left exposed. Based on photos on the web site, it appears to be from the original SVRR pit.
Kyle K. Wyatt
Curator of History & Technology
California State Railroad Museum
111 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
My work address is: kwyatt@parks.ca.gov
My personal address is: kylewyatt@aol.com
Previously From Kyle K. Wyatt:
"I have some qualms about referring to the present turntable in Folsom as the 'SVRR turntable.' While the site dates to the SVRR and their turntable, the present turntable represents at earliest a mid 1880s CP/SP standard turntable, a specific design used by CP/SP from the mid 1880s through the early 1900s. It is not even 1860s or 1870s."
---------------------
From: "Bill Anderson" bill@fedshra.org
Thanks Kyle, we stand corrected.
Bill
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