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N0KFQ > TODAY 06.02.12 00:17l 58 Lines 2683 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 17323_KB0WSA
Read: GUEST
Subj: Today in History - Feb 5
Path: IZ3LSV<IK6ZDE<VE3UIL<LZ3NP<N0KFQ<KB0WSA
Sent: 120205/2308Z 17323@KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA BPQ1.4.48
Feb 5, 1883:
Southern Pacific Railroad completes "Sunset Route"
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 powerful railroad companies of the 19th century,
the "Espee" (as the railroad was often called) originated in an
ambitious plan conceived in 1870 by the "Big Four" western
railroad barons: Collis P. Huntington, Charles Crocker, Leland
Stanford, and Mark Hopkins. A year earlier, the Big Four's
western-based Central Pacific had linked up with the
eastern-based Union Pacific in Utah, creating the first
transcontinental American railway. With that finished, the "Big
Four" began to look for ways to increase their control over West
Coast shipping, and decided to focus their efforts on extending
the California-based Southern Pacific southward.
By 1877, the Southern Pacific controlled 85 percent of
California's railroad mileage. Huntington, who now dominated the
company, saw an excellent opportunity to create a
transcontinental line through the southern United States.
Huntington had to act fast if was to beat the competition. The
Texas and Pacific Railroad was already pushing westward toward
the Pacific at a fast pace. Marshalling his awesome energy and
financial resources, Huntington began driving his Southern
Pacific line eastward. He won the race in 1881, when he linked
the Southern Pacific to the Santa Fe Railroad at Deming, New
Mexico, creating the second American transcontinental railway.
Two years later, on February 5, 1883, Huntington gained full
control of a number of smaller railroads, creating the Southern
Pacific's "Sunset Route" from New Orleans to California.
With the "Sunset Route," Huntington confirmed his domination over
California rails. He had taken considerable financial risks to
build the Southern Pacific system, and he collected very
considerable financial rewards. The Southern Pacific had a near
monopoly over rail service to California, and Huntington and his
associates took advantage of the situation by charging high
shipping rates.
Termed "the Octopus" for its tentacled stranglehold on much of
the California economy, the Southern Pacific inspired
Californians to create some of the first strong public
regulations over railroads in American history. But despite the
anger and outrage Huntington's exploitation inspired, few would
deny that the mighty Southern Pacific Railroad played an
essential role in fostering the growth of a vibrant California
economy for decades to come.
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: n0kfq@winlink.org
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