Colfax Then and Now
Union Pacific Engine #8468 sits on a siding in the Colfax train yard awaiting it's dispatch orders. Colfax has the distinction of being the first town that the Central Pacific Railroad reached when building the Transcontinental Railroad through the Sierra Nevada Range. It was originally named Illinoistown but the name was subsequently changed to Colfax in honor of Schuyler Colfax, Vice President under Ulysses Grant, in what was a blatant attempt to obtain funds from the U.S. Government by appealing to Schuyler's vanity. What? Play on a politician's vanity? As you can imagine it worked like a charm and Illinoistown happily became known as Colfax, the first stop for the eastbound Transcontinental Railroad out of Sacramento CA. Never mind that a couple of years later old Schuyler was implicated in the Credit Mobiler scandal and was forced to leave office under a dark cloud.
The history of the railroad in the U.S. is as colorful as it was unethical. One thing's for certain: the old Railroad Barons were every bit as ruthless and devious as those responsible for our modern day financial and political scandals. Maybe that's why they're affectionately known as the "Robber Barons." All aboard and keep a close eye on your wallet.
Colfax, CA
Colfax Then and Now
Union Pacific Engine #8468 sits on a siding in the Colfax train yard awaiting it's dispatch orders. Colfax has the distinction of being the first town that the Central Pacific Railroad reached when building the Transcontinental Railroad through the Sierra Nevada Range. It was originally named Illinoistown but the name was subsequently changed to Colfax in honor of Schuyler Colfax, Vice President under Ulysses Grant, in what was a blatant attempt to obtain funds from the U.S. Government by appealing to Schuyler's vanity. What? Play on a politician's vanity? As you can imagine it worked like a charm and Illinoistown happily became known as Colfax, the first stop for the eastbound Transcontinental Railroad out of Sacramento CA. Never mind that a couple of years later old Schuyler was implicated in the Credit Mobiler scandal and was forced to leave office under a dark cloud.
The history of the railroad in the U.S. is as colorful as it was unethical. One thing's for certain: the old Railroad Barons were every bit as ruthless and devious as those responsible for our modern day financial and political scandals. Maybe that's why they're affectionately known as the "Robber Barons." All aboard and keep a close eye on your wallet.
Colfax, CA