California Pacific Railroad
From: kawich@aol.com
I am interested in the California Pacific Railroad’s role as one of the earliest links and the quickest connection to San Francisco for transcontinental passengers from the Central Pacific in Sacramento during the early years (ca.1869-1872). Research has found that the Cal.P.RR transported passengers from Sacramento to Vallejo via rail; then on the passenger ferry New World to San Francisco.
The steamer New World has a long and interesting history. Early advertisements (notably, in the Daily Alta California 1855-1865) show this steamer as being owned by the California Steam Navigation Company. Prior to this she made the voyage around Cape Horn from New York to San Francisco after being taken illegally by Captain Wakeman (the New World had been seized by the sheriff in New York due to a creditor’s lien) and at one point during the trip she evaded a British ship attempting to capture her.
An ad in the March 20, 1869 Daily Alta California announces the New World and the Cal.P. schedule from Sacramento to San Francisco (and other points).
Also of interest here was the purchase of the California Steam Navigation Company by the Cal.P. in 1871 and the acquisition of the Cal.P. by the Central Pacific that same year.
Was the New World the only steamer operated between Vallejo and S.F. and was she owned by the Cal.P or leased from the California Steam Navigation Company prior to 1871?
The contractor’s name who built the Cal.P. from Vallejo to Sacramento, DeWitt C. Haskin, appears at the bottom of the advertisements for the Cal.P. but no title is associated with his name.
What official position(s) did Haskin hold with the California Pacific? He was honored by having a Cal.P. Mason locomotive named after him.
Information regarding the steamer “New World” and D.C.Haskin’s involvement with the Cal.P. is appreciated.
—Dan Getts
I am interested in the California Pacific Railroad’s role as one of the earliest links and the quickest connection to San Francisco for transcontinental passengers from the Central Pacific in Sacramento during the early years (ca.1869-1872). Research has found that the Cal.P.RR transported passengers from Sacramento to Vallejo via rail; then on the passenger ferry New World to San Francisco.
The steamer New World has a long and interesting history. Early advertisements (notably, in the Daily Alta California 1855-1865) show this steamer as being owned by the California Steam Navigation Company. Prior to this she made the voyage around Cape Horn from New York to San Francisco after being taken illegally by Captain Wakeman (the New World had been seized by the sheriff in New York due to a creditor’s lien) and at one point during the trip she evaded a British ship attempting to capture her.
An ad in the March 20, 1869 Daily Alta California announces the New World and the Cal.P. schedule from Sacramento to San Francisco (and other points).
Also of interest here was the purchase of the California Steam Navigation Company by the Cal.P. in 1871 and the acquisition of the Cal.P. by the Central Pacific that same year.
Was the New World the only steamer operated between Vallejo and S.F. and was she owned by the Cal.P or leased from the California Steam Navigation Company prior to 1871?
The contractor’s name who built the Cal.P. from Vallejo to Sacramento, DeWitt C. Haskin, appears at the bottom of the advertisements for the Cal.P. but no title is associated with his name.
What official position(s) did Haskin hold with the California Pacific? He was honored by having a Cal.P. Mason locomotive named after him.
Information regarding the steamer “New World” and D.C.Haskin’s involvement with the Cal.P. is appreciated.
—Dan Getts
Newspaper articles courtesy of Kyle K. Wyatt.
(see comment below)
posted from CPRR Discussion Group at 11:04 AM
1 Comments:
From: "Kyle Wyatt" kylekwyatt@gmail.com
It appears that the New World was purchased by the California Pacific in August 1868, thoroughly rebuilt (including new boilers), and placed in service in January 1869. The articles are a little unclear as to who owned the ship in 1868 – Oregon Steam Navigation or California Steam Navigation, but in either case the ship was in service around Oregon and Washington at the time of its sale. There also appears to have been a stipulation associated with the sale precluding the ship from being operated in California, but this was overturned in October 1868 by court ruling.
From the context, it appears that the Washoe was used when the New World was not available – but whether this was owned by the California Pacific or only leased, I am not yet sure. (The Washoe had been raised and repaired after her 1864 boiler explosion.)
Attached are an assortment of 23 newspaper articles related to the New World and other California Pacific topics.
—Kyle
Post a Comment
<< Recent Messages