Remember in part 14 that I mentioned that we’d have some more information about the first transcontinental railroad? I thought I’d have a picture of the monument that honored the time that Abraham Lincoln was at this spot and saw the images in this post, but I don’t. Why was Lincoln here? That’s the story behind this post. In August 1859, before Abraham Lincoln became president, railroad engineer Grenville Dodge took Lincoln to the top of Council Bluffs and showed him the panoramic view from Cemetery Hill. (This and the following historical information is from AI.)
This visit was significant because it allowed candidate Lincoln to evaluate land for the potential eastern terminus of the first transcontinental railroad.
The potential of a railroad act was part of Lincoln’s campaign platform since he supported federal incentives for constructing a transcontinental railroad to promote national unity and infrastructure development. This commitment was evident during his presidential campaign in 1860.
After Lincoln became president, he signed the Pacific Railway Act of 1862, just a few days before giving the Gettysburg Address, authorizing construction of the first transcontinental railroad.
Lincoln later designated the area opposite Omaha [Council Bluffs] as the railroad’s eastern starting point (instead of 3 other locations). Although the rails themselves began in Omaha [probably so the railroad wouldn’t have to cross the Missouri River], Council Bluffs was the key decision point because Dodge’s presentation helped persuade Lincoln of the route’s advantages.
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