The railroad was founded as a land holding company in 1865, later acquiring the central pacific railroad by lease. Central pacific railroad photographic history museum. Coalition demands railroad police cut ties with ice aclu of. Union foundation of southern california, black butte center for railroad. For the main page, see southern pacific transportation company. Railroad police may also patrol public rail transit systems. Maps showing the southern pacific railroad and its connections. Researching old railroads and railway records thoughtco. The railroad police are one of those forgotten law enforcement jobs that has an extensive history. The original company was called southern pacific railroad, the second was called. Southern pacific system the handbook of texas online.
Please click on the links to take a tour of this wellsupported, ambitious community effort to preserve the history of the southern pacific golden empire for today and for the future. The publication of this historical sketch of the development of southern pacific seems particularly appropriate at this time when the railroads organization has added, in terms of achievement, another outstanding chapter to the history of the road in taking over the office of president on december 11, 1941, four days after the japanese attack on pearl harbor. Hop aboard the canadian pacific railway and travel through its history from the steam era. Southern pacific did not create yosemite and sequoia, but the railroad helped push through legislation to create them.
All of the other railroads were owned by either one of the two at the time of incorporation or when bought. This group was created to post and share about the southern pacific railroad from inception thru. Railroad police or railway police are persons responsible for the protection of railroad or. They are best known for hits such as any way the wind blows 1989, which was used in the soundtrack for the film pink cadillac starring clint eastwood and bernadette peters, and new shade of blue 1988, their highestranking single on the country charts in november of that year. The society archives are housed in the sherman library. Since then, numerous railway companies have come and gone, with many mergers occurring along the way.
The southern pacific railroad was founded in 1865 and was purchased in 1869 by collis huntington, leland stanford, charles crocker and mark hopkins, better known as the big four. But the modern union pacific railroad police has taken on a new role. At merced, a sp train arrived with 12 guards, who surrounded the train when it stopped. Your accomplishments at union pacific are not only tangible, theyre the backbone of our railroad.
Southern pacific railroad rolls through the city foundsf. The southern pacific railroad was founded in 1865 and was purchased in 1869 by collis huntington, leland stanford, charles crocker and mark hopkins. Union pacific railroad police department, railroad police. Now a new system is doubling the number of railroad ties that can be disposed of per day, to nearly 5,000. The department is responsible for all union pacific locations across 32,000 miles of track in 23 states. The southern pacific railroad was founded in 1865 by a group of businessmen led by timothy phelps. From the central pacific railroad photographic history museum. The mission of the southern pacific historical and technical society is to preserve and disseminate the historical record of the southern pacific railroad and its affiliates by promoting preservation, industrial archeology and accurate scale modeling of this great pioneer company which built the western united states. The union pacific up and the southern pacific sp railroads have had long and intertwined. Southern pacific engineering drawings from the 1940s. After completing the central pacific from california to utah in 1869, they started the southern pacific as a branch line into southern california. Railroad police also have duties that go well beyond scolding smalltown, rabbithunting. These large 30x40 inch engineering plans are sometimes available in the collectible market, but its easier to view these maps at the california state railroad museum. Postings for this area include southern pacificrelated correspondence, articles and stories about the accomplishments of southern pacific employees.
The railroad police force dates to the mid1800s, when the. The applicants argued that monitoring and policing among even two sellers in. Southern pacific railroad company records, 18621997 in. The southern pacific was represented by three railroads. By 1883, the line extended all the way to new orleans. Railroad ties are literally the foundation on which railroads are built. Huntington, leland stanford, mark hopkins, and charles crocker.
Union pacific has a police department staffed with more than 175 special agents. The former union pacific depot at 121 west 15th st. Southern pacific railroad american company britannica. In 1901, the union pacific railroad bought 38% of southern pacific stock and took control of the company, but the union pacific was ultimately forced to divest these shares in 1912 by the u. The southern pacific railroad completes its transcontinental sunset route from new orleans to california, consolidating its dominance over rail traffic to the shows this day in history. When the central pacific cp and union pacific met on may 10, 1869 at promontory summit, utah the west was opened to new means of economic development and settlement, enabling travelers to take cross. Items in the archives are available for public perusal, but.
This one advises to keep on searching a suspect after finding a weapon because he may have several more. Chris started his railroad police career in december 2005 with the union pacific railroad in north little rock, ar. Marshals was insufficient to police americas growing rail network. Rise and fall of a railroad southern pacific shaped. The southern pacific transportation company reporting mark sp, earlier southern pacific railroad 18651885 and southern pacific company 18851969, and usually simply called the southern pacific, was an american railroad. Long line of people waiting to tour general motorss train of tomorrow at the southern pacific depot at 3rd and townsend on november 25, 1947. Southern pacific prototype modelers has 2,155 members. The southern pacific railroad combined with other railroads was part of the second, third, and fourth railroads to offer transcontinental service in the united states and canada. Southern pacific railroad, one of the great american railroad systems, established in 1861 by the big four of western railroad building collis p. The southern pacific drew up valuation maps to show the ownership history of every bit of track on the railroad. Union pacific annually replaces between 3 million and 4 million railroad ties. Discover the 20th century history of a transportation icon, the southern pacific railroad, this november 9th, 3pm at the allen public library. Louis and san francisco railroads all had railroad special agents working in the plains territories and far west by the 1870s. Southern pacific railroad history center filed as a articles of incorporation in the state of california on monday, october 17, 2016 and is approximately three years old, according to public records filed with california secretary of state.
The union pacific and southern pacific railroad merger. Southern pacific railroad genealogy familysearch wiki. According to randy houks railroad timeline, the first american rails are said to have been laid down at quincy, mass. Angeles the union pacific railroad police can trace its history back to. Cpr, once again building track to expand in the west, took the.
Special agents have primary jurisdiction over crimes committed against the railroad. South dakotas railroads south dakota state historical society. The system was operated by various companies under the names southern pacific railroad, southern pacific company and southern pacific transportation company the original southern pacific began in. By 1860 over 30,000 miles of railway track spanned the united states. In 1883 southern pacifics own tracks connected new orleans, louisiana, to california. Louisiana department of public safety and corrections louisiana probation and parole. William sproule, president of the southern pacific company, and the statement of mr. Southern pacific railroad history center company profile. During the 1970s the southern pacific railroad police department sent out safety reminders to their officers. The company was originally chartered in california on december 2, 1865, as the southern pacific railroad company. Union pacific brings 21st century technologies to life with positive train. The union pacific up and the southern pacific sp railroads have had long and.
Southern pacific railroad railroad railroad what they do railroad what it is what it does model railroad railroad models railroad standards underground railroad aws d15. Lease to state of nevada sheriff and police association pistol range. With more than 32,000 miles of track, you will have the chance to work on bridges, buildings, and signalsspread out amongst 23 states. According to his testimony, negotiations began in 1970 and extended over a period of about two and a half years before a final agreement was reached. The vaunted southern pacific name carries a complex history although its immediate heritage can be traced back to the transcontinental railroads completion. The 702d railway grand division, staffed mainly by railroad men from the union pacific railroad, coordinated the operations of the four battalions in operating the iranian state railway which carried three out of five tons of lendlease material shipped to the soviet union through the persian corridor during world war ii. Southern pacific facebook page rules for posting hi friends. Founded in 1865 by a group of businessmen in san francisco, the southern pacific was created as a rail line from san francisco to san diego. In some countries railroad police are no different from any other police agency, while in. Maps showing the southern pacific railroad and its. Summary main map shows western states and includes relief by hachures, drainage, cities and towns, township and ranges, counties, railroads, and proposed railroads. In the l940s and 1950s, southern pacific was at its zenith, envied by the transportation world for its plant, equipment and strategic dominance of the golden west. Settlers were attracted to nearby communities because the railroads provided access to markets. Why the southern pacific failed texas transportation museum.
The history of the southern pacific stretches from 1865 to 1998. Southern pacific was an american country rock band that existed from 1983 to 1991. The southern pacific reporting mark sp or espee from the railroad initials sp was an american class i railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated in the western united states. The separation of the central pacific and southern pacific. The union pacific, denver and rio grande, santa fe, southern pacific, and the st. View memorials for all fallen law enforcement officers from the southern pacific railroad police department, railroad police.
The southern pacific transportation company, commonly called the southern pacific, operates several transcontinental railroad routes connecting the pacific coast with the gateway cities of chicago, st. Its success has served as a model for national crime management. In 1885, the southern pacific leased the central pacific railroad until eventually merging with it in 1959. General map, at top of sheet, covers the united states and shows the railroad network. Herrin, chief counsel for the southern pacific company, given before the california railroad commission, as to the desirability and feasibility of the separation of the central pacific and southern pacific properties are. Courtesy of joe and chris walthall in the mid 1900s railroad police used these boxes and boards to fingerprint their arrested subjects and all new employees. Corporation and mighty developer of the great southwest and especially california, have fallen so fast. Norfolk southern railway police department union pacific police department. Railroad police or railway police are persons responsible for the protection of railroad or railway properties, facilities, revenue and personnel, as well as carried passengers and cargo.
The southern pacific railroad completes its transcontinental sunset route from new orleans to california, consolidating its dominance over rail traffic to the pacific one of the most. Following the purchase, the southern pacific merged the central pacific. Welcome to the southern pacific railroad history center. Southern pacific prototype modelers public group facebook. The following pdf s were copied from old commercial time books and rr published rosters. The archives house such items as maps, timetables, drawings, and a nearly complete set of the sp bulletin. California railroad history, sp or cp and santa fe. These men became the beginning of our history as railroad police officers. History of the southern pacific railroad november 9, 20.
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