Celebrating 140 Years On Track oh A way to re-unite the nation after a bitter Civil War, is how many saw the completionof the first transcontinental railroad in 1869. (NAPSA)—Here’s an American success story to consider: One of the few companies in America ever created by an act of Congress is beginning its 140th anniversary celebration. Then: Union Pacific (UP) was formed when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act on July 1, 1862, saying the railroad had to be built “not only as a military necessity, but as a means of holding the Pacific Coast to the Union.” The railroad wasbuilt in seven years. The nation’s first transcontinental railroad was complete when the “golden spike” was driven at Promontory Summit, Utah, in 1869; a well-known photograph captured the moment. “Union Pacific began building west from Omaha with 250 workers and a goal of laying two miles of track a day,” said Dick David- son, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Union Pacific. “Workers were paid $3 a day and worked seven days a week, 12 to 16 hours a day. The workforce grew to 10,000 and encountered every obstacle possible, from bliz- zards and drought to mountains and canyons.” Union Pacific has played a key role in American history, moving people and goods during peacetime and troops and equipment during both World Wars. Now:Today, the company ships everything from food and grain to coal and chemicals. It is the largest railroad in North America with 48,000 employees, 33,000 miles of track in 23 states, moving nine million carloads of goods every year. Through mergers, acquisi- tions and growth, Union Pacific has become oneof the largest and fastest-growing transportation companies in the U.S., with revenues of $12 billion per year. “Our success starts with our employees, who have continued the tradition of those who built this company,” Davidson said. “In many ways they helped build America. Whenthe final spike was driven in Utah in 1869, UP sent a telegraph to Washington that simply read, ‘Done.’ In reality, our work was just beginning. And we’re looking for- ward to the next 140 years of getting America’s work done.”
