History of the Union Pacific Railroad

The history of the Union Pacific Railroad stretches from 1862 to the present. For operations of the current corporation, see Union Pacific Railroad. It was created and funded by the federal government by laws passed in 1862 and 1864. It remained under partial federal control until the 1890s. The laws were passed as war measures to forge closer ties with California and Oregon, which otherwise took six months to reach. Management was noted for many feuds and high turnover. The UP main line started in Council Bluffs, Iowa and moved west to link up with the Central Pacific Railroad line, which was built eastward from San Francisco Bay.