View source for Southern Pacific Railroad

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[[Image:{{PecosViaduct}}]] 

The Southern Pacific Railroad (combined with other railroads) was part of the second, third, and fourth railroads to offer "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcontinental_railroad transcontinental]" service in the United States and Canada. In 1883 Southern Pacific's own tracks connected New Orleans, [[Louisiana, United States Genealogy|Louisiana]], to [[California, United States Genealogy|California]]. Settlers were attracted to nearby communities because the railroads provided access to markets. Railroads encouraged settlement along their routes to help increase the need for their service. For example, the Southern Pacific built significant hospitals in Tucson, San Francisco, and other towns.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Southern Pacific Transportation Company" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Southern_Pacific_Transportation_Company (accessed 4 July 2009).</ref> If an ancestor settled near a railroad, you may be able to trace their place of origin back to another place along the tracks. 

== Historical Background  ==

The [[United States Genealogy|United States]] bought the {{wpd|Gadsden Purchase}}, portion forming the southern parts of ([[Arizona, United States Genealogy|Arizona and]] [[New Mexico, United States Genealogy|New Mexico]] south of the Gila River) from [[Mexico Genealogy|Mexico]] in 1853 to have a snow-free route between [[California, United States Genealogy|California]] and the rest of the [[United States Genealogy|United States]]. The [[Butterfield Overland Mail|Butterfield Overland Mail]] ({{wpd|History Wells Fargo}}) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_coach stage coach] route), and later the Southern Pacific Railroad both made use of Gadsden land.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Gadsden Purchase" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadsden_Purchase (accessed 4 July 2009).</ref> 

The Southern Pacific Company was formed in 1865 to link San Francisco and San Diego, California by rail. By 1877 they were building track east into Yuma, [[Arizona, United States Genealogy|Arizona]] and headed for [[New Mexico, United States Genealogy|New Mexico]] and [[Texas, United States Genealogy|Texas]].<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Southern Pacific Transportation Company" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Southern_Pacific_Transportation_Company (accessed 4 July 2009).</ref> In March 1881 the [[Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway|Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway]] connected with Southern Pacific lines at Deming, [[New Mexico, United States Genealogy|New Mexco]] to form the second [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcontinental_railroad transcontinental] line. A few months later, in December 1881 the Southern Pacific linked with the [[Texas and Pacific Railway|Texas and Pacfic Railway]] at Sierra Blanca, [[Texas, United States Genealogy|Texas]] to form the third "transcontinental" railroad. Fourteen months later in February 1883 the Southern Pacific completed an expensive low bridge over the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecos_River Pecos River] in Texas linking New Orleans, [[Louisiana, United States Genealogy|Louisiana]] to Los Angeles, [[California, United States Genealogy|California]] entirely on its own tracks (fourth transcontinental line).<ref>American Western History Museums, "Southern Pacific Railroad" in "Western Railroads" in ''American Western History Museums'' at http://www.linecamp.com/museums/americanwest/western_clubs/southern_pacific_railroad/southern_pacific_railroad.html (accessed 4 July 2009).</ref> In 1892 Southern Pacific eliminated 11 miles of steep and curvy grades on its Sunset Route in [[Texas, United States Genealogy|Texas]] by building a new [http://www.nps.gov/amis/historyculture/viaduct.htm Pecos Viaduct] (high bridge) 5 mile further north near Langtry, Texas, for many years the highest bridge in America. This viaduct was replaced with a new railroad bridge including all concrete piers in 1944.<ref>U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, "Amistad National Recreation Area: The Pecos Viaduct" in ''National Park Service [Internet site]'' at http://www.nps.gov/amis/historyculture/viaduct.htm (accessed 4 July 2009).</ref>[[Image:Southern Pacific RR map.png|thumb|right]]

*[http://www.cprr.org/Museum/SP_1869-1944/ Seventy-Five Years of Progress]

== Route  ==

From east to west some of the most signficant towns on a typical route were: 

*New Orleans, [[Louisiana, United States Genealogy|Louisiana]] 
*Marshall, [[Texas, United States Genealogy|Texas]] 
*Houston, Texas 
*San Antonio, Texas 
*El Paso, Texas 
*Deming, [[New Mexico, United States Genealogy|New Mexico]] 
*Tucson, [[Arizona, United States Genealogy|Arizona&nbsp;]] 
*Yuma, Arizona 
*Los Angeles, [[California, United States Genealogy|California]]

Routes in [[Oregon, United States Genealogy|Oregon]] and the old [[Central Pacific Railroad|Central Pacific]] tracks&nbsp;through [[Nevada, United States Genealogy|Nevada]] to Ogden, [[Utah, United States Genealogy|Utah]] also were controlled at various times by the Southern Pacific Company.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Southern Pacific Transportation Company" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Southern_Pacific_Transportation_Company (accessed 4 July 2009).</ref> 

== Settlers and Records  ==

Settlers who made their way west on the Southern Pacific were likely to be from the southern states, especially [[Louisiana Genealogy|Louisiana]] and [[Texas Genealogy|Texas]]. However, via the [[Texas and Pacific Railway|Texas and Pacific Railway]] link to St. Louis, [[Missouri, United States Genealogy|Missouri]], and the [[Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway|Atcheson, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway]] link to Chicago, [[Illinois, United States Genealogy|Illinois]] many people using the Southern Pacific Railroad to settle in [[New Mexico, United States Genealogy|New Mexico]], [[Arizona, United States Genealogy|Arizona]], and [[California, United States Genealogy|California]] could also have come from&nbsp;Midwestern states as well. 

There are no known passenger lists for the Southern Pacific Railroad.

'''Collections'''
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/369780 Employee Record Cards,1900-1930, 29 rolls, FHL 1728001 - ]
*[http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv50295 Archives West: Southern Pacific Railroad Collection, circa 1868-1987]
*[https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf2199n586/ Online  Archives of California: Southern Pacific Railroad Company Records]

== Internet Links  ==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Pacific_Transportation_Company Wikipedia - Southern Pacific Transportation Company] - timeline, accidents, passenger service, locomotives, officers, affiliated companies<br>
*[http://www.sphts.org/pmcclosky/spwebresources.html Peter J. McClosky's Southern Pacific Railroad Web Resources Page] - Comprehensive list of hundreds of Internet links to historical societies, bibliographies, personal stories, equipment, ferries and boats, freight cars, locomotives, passenger cars, stations, tunnels, and museums<br>
*[http://www.sphts.org/ Southern Pacific Historical &amp; Technical Society] - Society, archives, and how to find resources such as official company records

== Sources  ==

{{reflist}}

{{Arizona|Arizona}}{{California|California}}{{Louisiana|Louisiana}}{{New Mexico|New Mexico}}{{Nevada|Nevada}}{{Oregon}}{{Texas|Texas}}{{Utah|Utah}} 

[[Category:Migration_Routes|Southern_Pacific_Railroad]] [[Category:United_States_Migration_Internal|Southern_Pacific_Railroad]] [[Category:US_Migration_Railroads|Southern_Pacific_Railroad]] [[Category:Louisiana Migration Routes|Southern_Pacific_Railroad]] [[Category:Texas Migration Routes|Southern_Pacific_Railroad]] [[Category:New Mexico Migration Routes|Southern_Pacific_Railroad]] [[Category:Arizona Migration Routes]] [[Category:California Migration Routes|Southern_Pacific_Railroad]] [[Category:Oregon Migration Routes|Southern_Pacific_Railroad]] [[Category:Nevada Migration Routes|Southern_Pacific_Railroad]] [[Category:Utah Migration Routes]] [[Category:Mexico Migration Routes]]