The U.S. Government sponsored several expeditions beginning in the 1840's to search for a possible railroad route across the west. The California Gold Rush created a ready market for the first important transcontinental traffic and it changed the general public attitude about the West.
The biggest fight for a transcontinental route was between the South which of course favored a southern route to the Pacific and those interests that preferred a north or central route which was the Overland Route. By the 1860's the Civil War settled the question. The first transcontinental route would be along the Overland Trail.
The Job of the Railroad Surveyor
When the surveys first got under way however there weren't many towns west of Iowa or Missouri. That was the western frontier line. As an example, the frontier line in Texas in about the mid 1840's would have been a line from about Dallas southwestward to San Antonio. Anything west of that was essentially Comanche territory.
As a side note, during the early years of Texas the famed Texas Rangers often did land surveys of unexplored areas while scouting for Indian raiding parties. The fact that the Rangers knew the territory and had the means to protect themselves allowed them to set boundary lines for land owners.
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| Central Pacific Railroad trestle, circa 1869 |
As a good example, in Nebraska, both the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes harassed survey crews. Paiutes attacked both the army and the surveyors in Utah. Years later it would be the Paiutes that conducted a war with the Pony Express stations and riders in Nevada and Utah. It was common for military escorts to be attached to the early survey teams.
Visit the Venues Below For a Fun Exploration of the Transcontinental Railroad and Survey Exhibits
The California State Railroad Museum is one of the finest railroad museum's in the world. Located in Old Town Sacramento California, the CSRM has everything you want to know and explore about the Transcontinental railroad and the old and historic Central Pacific Railroad which laid it's tracks over the rugged Sierra Nevada.
The Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco Texas has a fine display vintage railroad surveying equipment. The Union Pacific Railroad Museum located in Council Bluffs Iowa offers an enormous amount of information and artifacts regarding the building of the Union Pacific. Visitors will be transported to the 1860s as they learn about frontier life, the monumental work needed for constructing the railroad and the communities that were created along its route. The Union Pacific Railroad connected with the Central Pacific Railroad at Promontory Utah on May 10th, 1869.
The San Juan County Museum in Silverton Colorado has excellent history about the Silverton Durango Railroad including many artifacts and survey equipment both for mining and the railroad. The museum is operated by the San Juan County Historical Society.
The San Bernardino History and Railroad Museum located in San Bernardino California explores everything railroading. The museum stores the Santa Fe Western Archives and many unique history and railroad artifacts. There are several model train exhibits.
See our Western Trips articles on the links below...
The Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Dining Car
The Pullman Car and What It Did For Rail Travel
Donner Summit and the Central Pacific Railroad
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| Young & Sons transit |
Young and Sons Transit, circa 1875
William Young is credited with being the first maker of transits in America which he introduced in about 1832. A transit like the one shown in this article has a telescope that can move through a vertical plane. The one shown here is dated to around 1875. Young was also the first American to own a dividing engine which he built himself. This is a device for mechanically dividing circles into degrees and minutes.
W. & L.E. Gurley Vernier Railroad Compass and Tripod, circa 1860-1870
W. & L. E. Gurley introduced this type of instrument–a railroad compass with one vernier on the limb–in 1868. Vernier compasses located both true north and magnetic north. In "reading" the vernier, if it is moved to the right, count the minutes from its zero point to the left, and vice versa.
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| Vernier Railroad Compass |
The brass level attachment allowed surveyors to upgrade their equipment. The brass level attachment slid into the arms of a compass and allowed the surveyor to determine the altitude between several points.
Transcontinental Surveys
Four surveys for a route from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean included an eastern terminus at Council Bluffs Iowa, St. Louis Missouri and Little Rock Arkansas. Another survey was a southern route which essentially ran from San Antonio to the Pacific Ocean along the southern areas of New Mexico, Arizona and California. By 1853 the federal government funded a program to find the best route to the Pacific. The program was directed by Jefferson Davis who was at that time Secretary of War.
A Central Route
Interestingly enough, much of the surveying through the northern plains was along the same route that had been traveled by buffalo, followed by Indians, followed by the Mormons and then by the immigrants heading west to California and Oregon. This was the Platte River route through Nebraska and Wyoming which was also referred to as the Overland Trail.
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| Brass level attachment |
Citizens of St. Louis, led by Senator Thomas Hart Benton, were quite keen to have the railroad follow a route between the 38th and 39th parallels, as their city would be the natural eastern terminus. This would be a route through Kansas, Colorado, Nevada and Utah.
A Southwest Route
The survey expedition for a southern route along the 35th parallel was led by Lieutenant Amiel Weeks Whipple. This survey team was charged with funding a suitable route from Little Rock, Arkansas, through Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and California. This route eventually led across the Mojave Desert to Los Angeles.
A Big Story to Tell
The surveying and building of the Transcontinental Railroad allowed the United States to connect commercially with the westernmost states and territories. It is a fascinating story retold at many railroad and history museums throughout the West. The railroad influenced just about every aspect of out country's history and life from the mid 1800's to the mid 1900's.
When planning your next western vacation you may want to add some of these venues to your trip planner.
(Article and photos copyright Western Trips. Image of postage stamp and Central Pacific RR trestle in the public domain)
