Chinese Workers on the First Transcontinental Railroad: Southern Pacific Cyclopedia Vol. 5

Between 1865 and 1869, thousands of Chinese migrants toiled at a grueling pace and in perilous working conditions to help construct the world’s first Transcontinental Railroad. The Central Pacific Railroad first employed 50 Chinese workers on a trial basis as construction progressed through Auburn, California. From there, it is estimated that during peak construction, 12,000 Chinese laborers were employed to help build 690 miles of track, bore 6,213 feet of tunnel, and construct 35 bridges and trestles for the Central Pacific. The ultimate impact of Chinese labor was the completion of Manifest Destiny and the development of the Western United States.