June 2012

Posted June 4, 2012

“Breaching Mountains, Crossing Deserts: Building the First Transcontinental Railroad”

For Immediate Release
June 4, 2012
Media Contact: Kimberly Allen, Director of Development
816-926-8792

“Breaching Mountains, Crossing Deserts: Building the First Transcontinental Railroad”

(Kansas City, MO) The history of the railroad has fascinated writers, filmmakers, and the public for generations. Completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad, built between Omaha, Nebraska, and Sacramento, California, during the 1860s, was one of the greatest engineering feats in U.S. history. To learn more about this monumental achievement, join Kyle Wyatt, Curator of History and Technology at the California State Railroad Museum, as he discusses “Breaching Mountains, Crossing Deserts: Building the First Transcontinental Railroad” on June 14 at 7:00 p.m. The lecture will be held in the Main Reading Room of the Linda Hall Library at 5109 Cherry Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

The event is free and open to the public; however, seating is limited and e-tickets are required. E-ticket registration is available at www.lindahall.org. If you have questions, please email events@lindahall.org or call 816-926-8772 to leave a message. Contact Eric Ward (816-926-8753) for more information on this and other upcoming events. This lecture is made possible through the generous support of BNSF Foundation.

The Transcontinental Railroad was built by hand during the 1860s with minimal mechanization. Using double jack hand drilling for blasting and picks and shovels to load horse carts for cuts and fills, the mammoth task that was expected to take fifteen years was finished in eight. On May 10, 1869, the eyes of the nation turned towards Promontory Summit in Utah as telegraphers announced the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Kyle Wyatt, Curator of History and Technology at the California State Railroad Museum (CSRM), is a prolific author and speaker on the history of U.S. railroads. Prior to joining CSRM, he was Curator of History at the Nevada State Railroad Museum. Mr. Wyatt holds a B.A. and M.A. in history from the University of the Pacific.

The Linda Hall Library, the world’s largest privately funded library of science, engineering and technology, is located at 5109 Cherry Street, Kansas City, Missouri. The Library, exhibition galleries, and William N. Deramus III Cosmology Theater are open Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The exhibition galleries and William N. Deramus III Cosmology Theater are also open the second Saturday of each month 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
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