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The Central Pacific Railroad, (later to become the Southern Pacific Railroad), was planned by Theodore Judah and financed mostly through the efforts of " The Big Four" (who also called themselves, The Associates), who were Sacramento, California businessmen Leland Stanford, Collis Huntington, Charles Crocker, and Mark Hopkins. It was created to build the First Transcontinental Railroad. Alfred A. Hart was the official photographer of the CPRR construction.

1 Timeline

• 1862: President LincolnAbraham Lincoln ( February 12, 1809 April 15, 1865) was the 16th ( 1861- 1865) President of the United States, and the first president from the Republican Party. The election of Lincoln, who staunchly opposed the expansion of slavery, polarized the nation signs the Pacific Railway Act, which authorized the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific to build a railroad to the Pacific Ocean.
• January 8January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 357 days remaining (358 in leap years). Events 871 Battle of Ashdown Ethelred of Wessex defeats Danish invasion army. 1198 Innocentius III becomes Pope. 1734 Premiere of George Frid 1863: Ground is broken on the Central Pacific's first day of construction in Sacramento, CA
• June 3June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. Events 1098 Crusaders take Antioch, Turkey. 1140 French scholar, Peter Abelard found guilty of heresy. 1608 Samuel de Champlain completes his thi 1864Events January March January 21 Maori Wars: The Tauranga Campaign starts. February 27 American Civil War: The first Northern prisoners arrive at the Confederate prison at Andersonville, Georgia. March 1- Alejandro Mon Menendez takes office as Prime Minist: The first revenue train on the Central Pacific operates between Sacramento, CA and Newcastle, CA
• April 28 1869: Track crews on the Central Pacific lay 10 miles of track in one day. This is the longest stretch of track that has been built in one day to date.
• May 10 1869: The Central Pacific and Union Pacific tracks meet in Promontory, UT.
• May 15 1869: The first transcontinental trains are run over the new line to Sacramento, CA.
• November 8 1869: The Central Pacific completes the final leg of the route, connecting Sacramento to San Francisco.