Collection: Books and Periodicals

About This Item:

Title: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Publisher: Lewis Publishing Company Published: 1891 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Source(s): Google Books # of Pages: 713 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-22 00:25:09 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:11:29 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 06:30:36

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 713  

220 HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. each other. The track of the Central Pacific being laid on the levec, it was impossible for the California Pacifie road to cross the river, and secure depot and switch accommodations, without crossing this track. Various attempts were made to lay the track and form the crossing of the two tracks, but these attempts were resisted; and at one time it appeared as if bloodshed would result. The crossing, however, was made, and passengers landed by the California Pacific in Sacramento, January 29, 1870. The train was received with a regular ovation; guns were fired, the fire department turned out, and intense enthusiasm was manifested on all sides. The war continued until August, 1871, during which time the rates of freight and travel were very low, and neither road could have made much profit. Since March, 1885, the Central Pacific lines have been controlled by the great Southern Pacific Company. The California Pacific gave the “ Vallejo route” to San Francisco. The trip was made to Vallejo by rail, and from thence to San Francisco by boat. This was a very popular route, and monopolized the majority of the travel between Sacramento and San Francisco. December 28, 1879, the new road via Benicia was opened, and the trains have since been run through to Oakland, and the Vallejo route as a line of travel to San Francisco was abandoned. The large ferry at Benicia will be superseded by a bridge in a few years. The “Sacramento Valley Railroad” was the first constructed in California. The company was organized August 4, 1852, when ten per cent. of the stock subscribed was paid in, amounting to $5,000. The company re-organized November 9, 1854, and made immediate preparations for building the road. The first shovelful of dirt was thrown in February, 1855, the first tie came in May, and the first vessel load of material and rolling stock arrived from Boston in June. The first work done on a railroad car in California was on this road, July 4, 1855. The first rail was laid August 9, 1855, and the first train wae placed on the track Angnet 14. The road had some little trouble with its finances, but was not impeded materially in its progress. November 13, 1855, an excursion train was run to Patterson’s, ten miles from Sacramento, the round trip costing $1.00. By January 1, 1856, the road was completed to Alder Creek, and on February 22 was finished to Folsom. The length of the road was twenty-two and one. half miles, and cost $1,568,000. The capital stock was $800,000— $792,000 of which were issued. The road was a very profitable one from the date of its completion. Its effect was to move the terminus of the stage and freight lines running to the northern mines to Folsom, building up quite a town at that point. At one time twenty-one different stage lines were centered at Folsom, all leaving shortly after the arrival of the trains from Sacramento. “In August, 1865, the Central Pacific Company purchased the Sacramento Valley road. The purchase was made by George F. Bragg, on behalf of himeelf and others, of the entire stock held by L. L. Robinson and Pioche and Bayerque. The price paid for this stock was $800,000. Bragg, soon after coming into possession, transferred the stock to the owners of the Central Pacitic. The latter company was forced to do this in order to secure the whole of the Washoe trade, which at this time was immense, amounting to eeveral million dollars per annum. The short line of the Sacramento Valley road alone declared an annual profit of nearly half a million dollars the year previous to its purchase, most of which came from the freights going to the Washoe and uther mining districts. California Central Railroad.—In the spring of 1857 a company was formed in Marysville, to build a railroad from that city to the termirus of the Sacramento Valley Railroad, at Folsom. This company was entirely independent of the Sacramento Valley Company. Colonel C. L. Wilson, who was one of the contractors on the Sacramento Valley road, was sent East to procure funds for building the road. This object he effected, and the construction com-