National landmark designation for CPRR

From: Mike_Bilbo@nm.blm.gov

I worked for 5 years in the BLM Winnemucca Field Office and despite talking to many historians and national historic trail people could never find out – and many people seemed irritated when I asked - why wasn't the CPRR ever considered as a national historic trail or any other kind of national recognition? I don't think it is even designated as a national engineering landmark, or is it? There is so much written on it as the most significant feat in mid-19th Century America and yet it doesn't seem to rate or merit a national trail designation. It seems to me that it basically enhanced what the California Trail was all about, even follows the California Trail, yet gets ignored as if it is not as significant as the California Trail. It is interesting in that you can drive the entire railbed across public lands from near Elko to Fernley, Nevada.

Mike Bilbo
Outdoor Recreation Planner
Socorro Field Office
901 S. Highway 85
Socorro, New Mexico 87801