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Railroad History

Railroads influenced just about every aspect of American history and life from the mid-nineteenth through the mid-twentieth centuries. They became America's first really big business, and still play a vital role in the national economy.

Beginning with the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, trains brought settlers to California and shipped many of the products of the Golden State to markets throughout North America. The state's rapid development into the sixth largest economy in the world was made possible, to a great extent, by the railroad. It all began with four Sacramento storekeepers and a visionary, but persuasive, civil engineer.

The following categories are folders containing brief history articles which we invite you to read and enjoy.