1. Railroad in Utah

2. The Railroad Revolutionizes Transportation  The issue: connecting the eastern United States to the western United States  Solution: laying RR tracks to connect the country with a Transcontinental Railroad  Advantages: speed and convenience

3. Two Railroad Companies  Union Pacific- began laying tracks west from Omaha, Nebraska  Central Pacific- began laying tracks east from Sacramento, California  Meeting place: Ogden or Salt Lake City, Utah

4. Two Railroad Companies Union PacificCentral Pacific Hired immigrants from Ireland and other countries Hired immigrants from China Laid track on flat prairie land (at first)Passed through the Sierra Nevada Mountains Had to purchase lumber and have it shipped to create tracks (few trees where track was laid) Had access to lots more lumber in the area Needed help from Utah once they reached the Rocky Mountains Raced across the Great Basin of Nevada faster than expected

5. Dangerous Work  Workers of both Railroad Companies dealt with harsh weather (extreme heat or bitter cold)  Many died from the cold in the mountains and from accidents while setting off dynamite to blast through mountains

6. Brigham Young Helps the Union Pacific  Young accepts contract for $2 million to build a roadbed from Echo Canyon through Weber Canyon  They promised to run the tracks through Ogden & Salt Lake City  President Ulysses S. Grant wanted the tracks to follow trails just north of Ogden so it didn’t initially run through SLC

7. Transcontinental Railroad

8. The Race Was On!  The tracks from both railroad lines finally met on May 10, 1869 at the top of Promontory Summit, north of the Great Salt Lake  The Golden Spike (actually made of gold!) was driven in to complete the merging of the two railroads  Later, both railroads went to Ogden

9. The Railroad Changes Utah  Trains were very important for moving raw materials from mines to manufacturing centers  Trains created new markets for produce & meat  The railroad brought in goods that were much cheaper than those made in Utah  Trains increased the number of converts, settlers and tourists coming to Utah  Rail lines linked major cities