RAILROAD NAILS -Salt Lake Route Project Part 1
By Al Neilsen with contributions and many thanks to Rolland Myers and Arnold Smith
The purpose of this project is to search and refine the date nails used by 3 railroads - the San Pedro Los Angeles & Salt Lake, the Los Angeles & Salt Lake or Salt Lake Route as it came to be known and the Union Pacific along the route from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles.
*All source materials for this series of articles are from the excellent book “The Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad Company - Union Pacific’s Historic Salt Lake Route.” Signor, John R. Golden West Books - San Marino, California. 1988.
It is my belief that the sets can be broken down and fit into 3 separate collections. It is also my contention that the SPLA & SL used specific nails during the 10 years that it operated under that title. The next set would be the LA & SL or Salt Lake Route and this is where it gets murky as the Union Pacific nails overlap with the nails of the SLR.
To get a clearer picture of these assumptions on my part, I will delve into the history of these railroads from the first ideas to build a road from Salt Lake to Los Angeles to the complete takeover of this route by the Union Pacific.
To get a clearer picture of these assumptions on my part, I will delve into the history of these railroads from the first ideas to build a road from Salt Lake to Los Angeles to the complete takeover of this route by the Union Pacific.
The country was in a railroad building frenzy for many years as competing companies sought to link every destination with a purpose by rail. The completion of the transcontinental railway on May 10, 1869 brought the east and west coasts together. Brigham Young lobbied hard to get the railroad routed through Salt Lake City but to no avail as the Central Pacific chose the route through Weber Canyon to Ogden, 37 miles to the north. Brigham wasted no time building a standard gauge railroad to link up with the main line at Ogden which became known as the Utah Central RR.
Within 2 years plans were made to bring services and additional settlement to southern Utah so on January 17, 1871 the Southern Utah Railroad was organized. The road slowly extended south in different stages until it reached Juab on June 13, 1879.
Earlier that year, on January 11, the Utah Southern Extension Railroad was incorporated to take the work farther south. By the end of 1879 and early 1880 another 137.2 miles of tracks were laid to Milford and terminated at the mining town of Frisco, 13 miles west of Milford, home of the rich Horn Silver mine to transport the ores north for processing.
Within 2 years plans were made to bring services and additional settlement to southern Utah so on January 17, 1871 the Southern Utah Railroad was organized. The road slowly extended south in different stages until it reached Juab on June 13, 1879.
Earlier that year, on January 11, the Utah Southern Extension Railroad was incorporated to take the work farther south. By the end of 1879 and early 1880 another 137.2 miles of tracks were laid to Milford and terminated at the mining town of Frisco, 13 miles west of Milford, home of the rich Horn Silver mine to transport the ores north for processing.
Then on May 30, 1881, the Union Pacific organized the Salt Lake & Western Railroad, a 53 mile standard gauge line from Lehi Junction southwest through Five Mile Pass then south to the Tintic - Eureka - Silver City mining district. This road was of interest to the UP as a possible route to Southern California.
Enter Jay Gould. In 1873 he and his associates had acquired a substantial interest in the Union Pacific and he had ambitious plans for expansion of the Union Pacific system. He sent his engineers to survey a route from Lehi Junction to Southern California. The proposed route would go west following the old Pony Express road and stage line over Sacramento Pass and Connor’s summit into Ely, Nevada. Then south to Yucca Flat, Lathrop Wells, Ash Meadows and Tecopa before crossing the Mojave Desert to tie in to the rails of the Southern Pacific at Mojave, California.
Enter Jay Gould. In 1873 he and his associates had acquired a substantial interest in the Union Pacific and he had ambitious plans for expansion of the Union Pacific system. He sent his engineers to survey a route from Lehi Junction to Southern California. The proposed route would go west following the old Pony Express road and stage line over Sacramento Pass and Connor’s summit into Ely, Nevada. Then south to Yucca Flat, Lathrop Wells, Ash Meadows and Tecopa before crossing the Mojave Desert to tie in to the rails of the Southern Pacific at Mojave, California.
By August 1, 1889 Gould and the Union Pacific formed a corporation called the Oregon Short Line & Utah Northern Railway. He had acquired the Utah Central, Utah Southern, Utah Southern Extension, Utah & Nevada and Salt Lake & Western and merged them with other railroads in Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming into this new company. The railway formed a rough cross pattern going from Huntington, Idaho on the west to Granger, Wyoming. The Then from Butte, Montana on the north to Milford, Utah on the south, crossing in a short section of single track from Pocatello to McCammon, Idaho.
By this time, the Union Pacific controlled the railroads south from Salt Lake to Milford so the earlier survey through Ely was abandoned as an unneeded expense. The Union Pacific was still serious about building its own line into Southern California, largely due to a boom in agricultural development and business opportunities in and around Los Angeles in 1887 and 1888. But this was going to be a battle with the big railroads who had already built routes into California.
Two lines were surveyed to extend the tracks from Milford southwest into the Los Angeles area beyond Modena, Utah on the Utah/Nevada state line. One went due west from Modena, over Miller Pass by way of Panaca, to the Pahroc and Emigrant Valleys to Ash Meadows on the Nevada/California state line. Then proceeded south and west to link up with the Southern Pacific at Mojave, California.
By this time, the Union Pacific controlled the railroads south from Salt Lake to Milford so the earlier survey through Ely was abandoned as an unneeded expense. The Union Pacific was still serious about building its own line into Southern California, largely due to a boom in agricultural development and business opportunities in and around Los Angeles in 1887 and 1888. But this was going to be a battle with the big railroads who had already built routes into California.
Two lines were surveyed to extend the tracks from Milford southwest into the Los Angeles area beyond Modena, Utah on the Utah/Nevada state line. One went due west from Modena, over Miller Pass by way of Panaca, to the Pahroc and Emigrant Valleys to Ash Meadows on the Nevada/California state line. Then proceeded south and west to link up with the Southern Pacific at Mojave, California.
The second went south through the Clover and Meadow Valleys to Las Vegas, then southwest into California crossing the Santa Fe near Ash Hill and connect with the Southern Pacific at Whitewater east of San Gorgonio Pass. The Union Pacific then organized the Nevada Pacific Railway Company on May 13, 1889 to build the road to California and applied for a right-of-way across Nevada which it obtained. But before construction even started, the Nevada Pacific was taken over by the Oregon Short Line & Utah Northern.
After construction began, trouble soon followed. Because of the remoteness of the location and low wages it was difficult to find workers who would commit to the project. On July 4, 1890, the labor gangs and camps were abandoned as they headed for the saloons and gambling halls of Culverwell, Nevada, now known as Pioche, to celebrate. Only 7.75 miles of track had been laid.
Shortly thereafter, a fire destroyed the station and surrounding buildings at Milford. That, coupled with insufficient funds to pay the laborers and purchase supplies and track materials, put the whole project in jeopardy. Project engineer H.M. McCartney left Nevada for Omaha to appeal to the company for help. He met with disappointment and returned in February 1891 with the unpleasant news that all plans to build that stretch of railroad would be abandoned. Also, the entire Union Pacific System was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
By this time though, a grade had been completed by the Nevada Pacific between Milford and Uvada on the Utah/Nevada state line along with several bridges. There was also a partially completed grade from Uvada to Caliente with 6 tunnels already bored. With no further work to be done on the line, the 7.75 miles of track already laid were torn up.
Jay Gould died in 1892, never having seen the completion of his route to California and leaving the Union Pacific in dire financial straits. On October 13, 1893 the Union Pacific went into receivership with S.H.H. Clark, Oliver Mink and E. Eilery Anderson named as receivers. In 1894 the Nevada Pacific right-of-way through Nevada was abandoned as the Union Pacific was trying to pull itself out of the hole and hang on to what properties they had left. The right-of-way reverted back to Lincoln County and was put up for sale for back taxes.
By 1895 the Union Pacific System had only 4,469 miles of track left in service and the right-of-ways were a mess. Enter Edward Henry Harriman. On November 1, 1897 he and his associates gained possession of all Union Pacific properties and started the daunting task of rebuilding the railroad as well as developing the Union Pacific in the far west.
There was a group of Utah capitalists who formed an organization in 1896 known as the Utah & California Railroad Company with the goal of resurrecting the plan to finish the project but nothing was ever accomplished. But the company did influence the building of the railroad in years to come.
After construction began, trouble soon followed. Because of the remoteness of the location and low wages it was difficult to find workers who would commit to the project. On July 4, 1890, the labor gangs and camps were abandoned as they headed for the saloons and gambling halls of Culverwell, Nevada, now known as Pioche, to celebrate. Only 7.75 miles of track had been laid.
Shortly thereafter, a fire destroyed the station and surrounding buildings at Milford. That, coupled with insufficient funds to pay the laborers and purchase supplies and track materials, put the whole project in jeopardy. Project engineer H.M. McCartney left Nevada for Omaha to appeal to the company for help. He met with disappointment and returned in February 1891 with the unpleasant news that all plans to build that stretch of railroad would be abandoned. Also, the entire Union Pacific System was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
By this time though, a grade had been completed by the Nevada Pacific between Milford and Uvada on the Utah/Nevada state line along with several bridges. There was also a partially completed grade from Uvada to Caliente with 6 tunnels already bored. With no further work to be done on the line, the 7.75 miles of track already laid were torn up.
Jay Gould died in 1892, never having seen the completion of his route to California and leaving the Union Pacific in dire financial straits. On October 13, 1893 the Union Pacific went into receivership with S.H.H. Clark, Oliver Mink and E. Eilery Anderson named as receivers. In 1894 the Nevada Pacific right-of-way through Nevada was abandoned as the Union Pacific was trying to pull itself out of the hole and hang on to what properties they had left. The right-of-way reverted back to Lincoln County and was put up for sale for back taxes.
By 1895 the Union Pacific System had only 4,469 miles of track left in service and the right-of-ways were a mess. Enter Edward Henry Harriman. On November 1, 1897 he and his associates gained possession of all Union Pacific properties and started the daunting task of rebuilding the railroad as well as developing the Union Pacific in the far west.
There was a group of Utah capitalists who formed an organization in 1896 known as the Utah & California Railroad Company with the goal of resurrecting the plan to finish the project but nothing was ever accomplished. But the company did influence the building of the railroad in years to come.