TWHP


Charles Crocker, 1822-1888   

Charles Crocker built the railroad. The most dynamic of the men known as the "Big Four," Crocker was the man who actually supervised the construction of the Central Pacific's portion of the Transcontinental Railroad, completed in 1869. After traveling overland to the West in 1850, he soon decided that digging for gold was too much trouble; he opened a store in Sacramento and prospered. After dabbling in politics with some success, he and his partners--Leland Stanford, Collis Huntington and Mark Hopkins--invested in the railway scheme. He overcame seemingly insurmountable odds in hacking and blasting a route through the Sierras, all the while facing financial disaster should they not be able to complete the road. Once done, he continued his industrious ways by building great resorts that would encourage people to travel by train; the Del Monte in Monterey and Soda Springs in the Sierras derived from his efforts. Ever ready to take credit for doing things--especially building the railroad--Crocker seemed to delight in contrasting himself with Leland Stanford, who merely talked. He speculated in real estate, banking, and agriculture, using all the clout he could muster to have his way at the expense of public interest; even so, his efforts played a major role in the growth of California.


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