Did the Chinese build the Central Pacific Railroad?
Between 1863 and 1869, as many as 20,000 Chinese workers helped build the treacherous western portion of the railroad, a winding ribbon of track known as the Central Pacific that began in Sacramento.
When did the Central Pacific Railroad start and end?
Central Pacific Railroad
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | June 28, 1861–April 1, 1885 continued as an SP leased line until June 30, 1959 |
| Successor | Southern Pacific |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 81⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Where did the Chinese build the Central Pacific Railroad?
Between 1863 and 1869, as many as 20,000 Chinese workers helped build the treacherous western portion of the railroad, a winding ribbon of track known as the Central Pacific that began in Sacramento. At first, the Central Pacific Railroad’s directors wanted a whites-only workforce.
Who was the director of the Central Pacific Railroad?
Hilton Obenzinger, associate director of the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford University, says that Central Pacific Railroad director Charles Crocker recommended hiring Chinese workers after a job ad resulted in only a few hundred responses from white laborers.
How big were the Chinese on the transcontinental railroad?
In the beginning, many questioned the ability of these men that averaged 4′ 10″ and only weighed 120 lbs. to do the work necessary. However, their hard work and abilities quickly allayed any fears. In fact, at the time of completion, the vast majority of workers from the Central Pacific were Chinese.
Where was the First Transcontinental Railroad built in California?
Ground was broken in Sacramento at Front and K Street on January 8, 1863 to begin construction of the Central Pacific Railroad, the western link of the first transcontinental railroad.