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Septe 5 1876 ...,_ a l'.l~tlreil ;rears ago .,,... a ver, signitice.r.rt ~V~l'l:t took
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place ht ~" Calife>rld~ in the iewhaJJ. a~ee..o On that d~y, ~ gold.~n

spike was driven in pl&o~ to complete the Southern Pacific Railroa4,

linking Os!li.forn.\a cy ~ tvo f'oreuu,at· c1t1&fJ, ian Frauci~co and Lo~ Angel~se

Th1B momentouB event was destined to bring gr6at soonomie prosp~rit7

to tho 3te;t~o

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mind of Charles arock~r, president ot the iouth®~ hc:1:fic, some:'. time
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in the mi.d..,.1860°11, 6\ time lfheu the countX7 was be.gim11ng to recover .froa
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father a.ge.1n8t 201a 0 friend against trt~n.d~ What better way to bind the

count~7 togethe~-than·w1t,h ban~~ at ste~l ud 1~ont ~hus was born th@
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idea of bu.11d1:tl,& r&1lroads to ~flee the Bao·, w1tb the West, t-he ~or't;h

with th0 Soutl?. bringing the nation cloe®r togoth@ro
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Utor 7~u~ Qf plruulingp d1scus~1o~8 9 2nd political t-n"Sll.glingj Crocker

· deoid®d 1n Oct.., 1874 to meet with all interested p0.1•ties to work out

the details for completing th~ railroad., Final pla.na call.sd :tor & rail""

road to- be built from Su .Franc1~co goi~ $Ot.rtli to the Mojave dssert and.~

at the e1.1ae tim@ one to be ~tarte6. in Loa ArJ.gele8 £to1ng north to Lang.
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1'.b.en oame the most t\1f1'1oult questio~ -- h.mi to ccnnsct these tw@ section.a

of :ir.'e.ilwa,;,·e !?he cllly f'eaifjibl* !i!olution was to build a tunnel north of

Id J@~do,, goiJlS thl"oup a mountaiXA. rang@ out to Soledad Oany-on, ead

uphill to the Mo3avs d«!l!~8rt.. ~e tuue,l. would be 1',000 teat long, gne and
a third miles of 00114 rock, tha greate~t single engin~erhlg fe~t e~G

Qou.nter@~. go fa:.~ b;y tb.s Southern Pac1t1e,.

A:t this point, th.ere were mMY obet.a.oles to bi ov1rcom.t b&for@ ·the pror.:,,

jeat cou.ld get u.udenrn.y\"t Machiner1 and mate:rialaD cableD and wagons