CPRR rail line into Wyoming, nearly to Lander, WY
I am a senior docent at the Laramie Plains Museum in Laramie WY. Recently I have been studying the history of the construction of the transcontinental railroad.
I was discussing a topic with a museum researcher about miles built per day when he mentioned the well documented "10 miles in a day" episode.
He also said that the Central Pacific RR went on to build rail line into Wyoming, nearly to Lander WY.
He said that the line was never used but that the rails remained in place until well into the mid 1900's.
I have some doubts about this and have searched high and low and can find no reference to such a CPRR line.
The only RR line that I can find any record of anywhere near Lander, WY was a line put in by the U.S. Steel company that had an iron mine near South Pass.
That line was used from the 1960's to 1983.
Do you have any information that would confirm the CPRR built a line into Wyoming in the 1860's? ...
—Kim Viner, Laramie, WY
Laramie Boomerang, June 23, 1885.
posted from CPRR Discussion Group at 11:19 AM
15 Comments:
The CPRR portion of the transcontinental railroad went from Sacramento, California to Ogden, Utah, so doubt it built into Wyoming. Perhaps UPRR – which went through Wyoming? Don't know about Wyoming, but there is a Lander on the CPRR line near Colfax, California – could this be a source of confusion?
This map shows a line from the UPRR at Cheyenne to Laramie.
From: kylewyatt@aol.com
No, the Central Pacific NEVER built their rail line into Wyoming. They did own some coal mines in Wyoming, and I suppose they might have owned some tracks associated with the mining operation. (I have no information one way or another on this aspect.) The Central Pacific probably did some preliminary surveying into Wyoming, and possibly even some grading (although I think not – and am confident they never graded as far east as Laramie).
—Kyle
From: "Wendell Huffman" wendellhuffman@hotmail.com
Butler Ives surveyed as far east as Green River for the CPRR (EB Crocker letter of 13 Sep 1867 to CP Huntington). I do not know whether this was a preliminary survey or an actual location survey. A location survey was run at least as far east as Echo Summit, and it was approved by the Department of Interior as the route for the Pacific railroad (CP Huntington letter of 21 October 1868 to EB Crocker). However, while Huntington repeatedly urged occupation of that line, by the time anyone from the CPRR empowered to make contracts for work got to Salt Lake City, the UP was already grading between Echo and Ogden, and the CPRR did no grading east of Ogden in connection with the transcontinental railroad.
—Wendell
A bit of additional information has come to light on this subject. Our researcher has an 1883 map of Wyoming published by George L Holt and drafted by Frank and Fred Bond. An annotation on the map says it is complied with permission from official records of the U.S. Public Lands Office. The map shows that the Central Pacific RR conducted a survey from SW Wyoming, through South Pass and along the valley of the Sweetwater River then on to Casper WY. The map can be seen here: http://wyoarchives.state.wy.us/res/assets/Maps/Historic/wy_1883.jpg . Note the words "Central Pacific RR Survey" just north of the UPRR junction at Granger and close to the "O" in Carbon county. Would appreciate any thoughts you might have. Still looking for that track though!
From: "Wendell Huffman" wendellhuffman@hotmail.com
I do not mean this as an explanation, but as a reminder of how complicated the explanation may be: the expression "Central Pacific R.R. Survey" may refer to any survey for a Pacific railroad on the "central route". It might be clearer if it was spelled "central Pacific railroad survey", but on the map it got capitalized. In other words, that line on the map – if even accurate – may record any of a number of surveys for the Pacific railroad--not necessarily a survey conducted by the Central Pacific Railroad company. While I am confident that neither Beckwith or Stevens examined South Pass, Gunnison and Stansbury may have. And I have no idea where Lander went.
—Wendell
From: kylewyatt@aol.com
I believe that the Central Pacific considered building east of Ogden at several points in its history – not just in the 1860's. While I do not know the origins of this particular survey in Wyoming, it might possibly be from the 1870's or early 1880's.
—Kyle Wyatt
From: "Don Snoddy" ddsnoddy@gmail.com
I couldn't see the map well enough to read the words but even with trackage rights on the UP it would have been a tough sell. Something to stir the ire of Jay Gould and Sidney Dillon no doubt. Maybe to get them to cave on
another location.
From: "Kim Viner" kdviner@msn.com
Very good points, which I certainly had not thought of. I get back together with the researcher and bounce that off him.
Thanks for your time.
—Kim
The map can be seen here.
Well, found something else of interest. A story in the Laramie Boomerang dated 23 June 1885. There on page 4 one can find a newly incorporated railroad called the Utah and Wyoming Central. It was intended to connect the Chicago and Northwestern with the Central Pacific. The article goes on to say that it may be the same group that incorporated in 1881 under the name "Central Pacific Railroad Company of Wyoming." Mention is also made of exiting the eastern part of the state into Nebraska near where the Niobrara river crosses the state line. Western exit was to be into Utah. Trsutees of the latter were Charles Crocker, C.F. Crocker and W.V. Huntigton. If any surveying and/or track laying was done, this could be the Central Pacific that shows up on the 1883 map. This link may work for you to find the article.
http://pluto.state.wy.us:8080/awweb/main.jsp?flag=browse&smd=2&awdid=1
From: kylewyatt@aol.com
I couldn't open the link to the article. I'd love to see it. With those trustees, it is clearly related to the Central Pacific.
Don Strack lists what may be related Utah companies, variously Utah & Wyoming, and Utah & Wyoming Central. The incorporators are not so clearly Central Pacific, but they may have used fronts.
—Kyle
See the newspaper article from the Laramie Boomerang, June 23, 1885, above.
From: kylewyatt@aol.com
I'll note that in 1880-81 the Union Pacific was contemplating building west from Utah – and purchased the Nevada Central Ry as an intended feeder line. By the mid 1880s the UP had given up that idea, and let the Nevada Central default on its bonds. (Nevada Central Railway defaulted in Oct 1884. The subsequent bankruptcy lead to its reorganization as the Nevada Central Railroad in 1888, with UPRR out of the picture.) We might ask who was poking whom in the eye. The CP Wyoming moves may have been a response to the UP moves in Nevada.
—Kyle
Maybe like Don Snoddy said above, "Something to stir the ire of Jay Gould and Sidney Dillon no doubt. Maybe to get them to cave on
another location."
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