Re: Question - Great-great-grandfather, Ransom Cross (d. August 28, 1869)

The kind of information that you are seeking is extraordinarily difficult to find. Searching the local newspapers of August 28, 1869 or shortly thereafter to see if any such story appeared would be one approach. You could also study the surviving (but incomplete) CPRR payroll records at the California State Railroad Museum to see if Ransom Cross' name appears.

See:
http://www.rrb.gov/geneal2.html
http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf2h4n98jc
http://www.cbsr.ucr.edu/cnp/index.html
http://CPRR.org/Museum/FAQs.html#Great-Grandfather
http://CPRR.org/Museum/FAQs.html#Primary_Sources

Question - Great-great-grandfather, Ransom Cross (d. August 28, 1869)

From: james.cross@shaw.ca
Date: January 26, 2005 11:47:21 PM EST
To: museum@CPRR.org
Subject: Question

Very nice website.
 
I am sending you this in hopes that you might help me. My Great-great-grandfather, Ransom Cross (b. about 1828) died in California on August 28, 1869. I am wondering if there was a mishap/accident that may have occurred in conjunction with the railroad on this date? The reason I am asking you is  that he was originally a rail road Section Master in Wisconsin in 1860. Then left his family to go to California. I am assuming that he went to build the transcontinental railroad. Can you help?
 
What ever information would be useful.
 
Thanks,
 
James Cross

Re: Was there a camp of Chinese RR worker tents at Promontory?

I recall that in Lavender's "The Great Persuader" the nature of the unused parallel UPRR grading in Western Utah and Eastern Nevada was pretty well described.
--Kevin

--- chris graves wrote:
... There is also a UPRR parallel grade that is some 3/4 mile NORTH of Pequop Summit that has never been explored, I could never figure out why that grade is/was so far off the main line.