Yesterday, I joined community leaders and Illinois residents to celebrate the163rd anniversary of President Lincoln signing the Pacific Railroad Act into law. Union Pacific Railroad unveiled a new commemorative locomotive and stopped at Springfield’s Amtrak station to showcase No. 1616. Union Pacific traces its roots back to the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862, which Lincoln signed into law. It authorized the construction of the nation’s first transcontinental railroad, which would eventually lead to the company’s footprint between the Pacific Ocean and as far east as Chicago.
President Lincoln No. 1616 Enters the Capital City
Abraham Lincoln and the Transcontinental Railroad
Here is an in-depth look into the history between President Lincoln and Union Pacific:
Abraham Lincoln: The Founding Father of Union Pacific Railroad