Trains

On May 10, 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad was completed with the driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit, Utah. Completing the Transcontinental Railroad is widely considered one of the greatest accomplishments of the 19th century!

On February 20, 1840, the Gowan & Marx made an impressive run, hauling more than 100 cars weighing 423 tons. It was one of the earliest 4-4-0 locomotives with equalizing levers and became internationally known for hauling a train 40 times its own weight.

On November 7, 1921, President Warren G. Harding ordered 2,200 Marines to guard the mail in the wake of a series of daring mail robberies.

On October 7, 1826, the Granite Railway opened in Massachusetts. Built to carry granite for the Bunker Hill Monument, it’s been called the first chartered and commercial railroad in the United States.

On September 14, 1891, the Empire State Express became one of the world’s first high-speed passenger train, traveling 436 miles between New York City and Buffalo in 7 hours, 6 minutes. It averaged 61.4 miles per hour and reached a top speed of 82 miles per hour.

James Charles Rodgers was born on September 8, 1897, in Meridian, Mississippi.  He was known for his distinctive yodel and has been called the “Father of Country Music.”

On July 7, 1838, Congress approved an act that declared all United States railroads as post roads.  This would lead to a dramatic increase in the use of railroads to deliver mail.

The Jupiter, also known as Central Pacific Railroad #60, made its first run on March 20, 1869. Less than two months later, the Jupiter made history as one of the two locomotives that met at Promontory Summit, Utah to mark the completion of America’s First Transcontinental Railroad.

On September 21, 1866, the 9th and 10th Cavalry units and the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st Infantry units (later consolidated as the 24th and 25th Infantry) were formed.  The units were comprised entirely of black soldiers – the first to serve in a peacetime army.  They would come to be known as Buffalo Soldiers.