Omaha daily bee., 1883-12-01
e YEARS AGO.
. Big Day in Omaha-Brcaking
Ground for the Union Pacific
Memorable speech OF George
Francis Train.

1t was rumored On Tuesday, Decem-
Dor lat, 1868, that tho Union Pacific
railroad had been located by President
Lincoln to start at Omaha, opposite
Council Bluffs, and that ground would be
broken on the next day. This report
stirred up considerable excitement. 1t
was the cause OF a big rush On that day
to the United States land Office to secure
land zeal Omaha. Parties were unable,
however, to obtain land nearer than 16
miles from the city, and property in and
around the city took a vary sudden rise.
Among other reports was one that George
Francis Train would be in Omaha to
speak at tho inaugural of the Union
Pacific.
People waited with great anxiety for
the confirmation of the rumors, and
when on the next day, Wednesday, De.
cember I'd, tho telegram was received
ordering Engineer Dey to break ground
at Omaha for the Union Pacific railroad
hltdc chtlboliotO III Ciitilttolhbtu pre-
vailed Throughout the city, which then
contained a population of less than 5000
lnhabitants
IL was An event TO be celebrated in no
ordinary manner. 1t vas to be the lay.
ing of the cornerstone of tho grandest
structure Of the age n structure which
should unite tho Atlantic and Pacific
tho east and tho west-which would do
more to develop the of the
country tn IN all other agencies combined,
and become the great transcontinental
highway for the transportation of the
people and merchandise of the various
nations of the earth. Ii rs safe to say
however, that not all the people of
Omaha had unbounded faith in tho en-
terprise, hut there were some who had
the utmost confidence in its eventual sue.
cess, but none believed that it would be
completed in so remarkably a short time
as it was. The celebration, although al,
most entirely impromptu, was partici,
pal.d in by a large crowd of tho citizens
Of Omaha, and it proved an enthusiastic
success.
The following committee Of arrange
ments was appointed in less than an
hour after the receipt Of the telegram.
Augustus kOuLtzo, Enos Lowe, John
Mccormick, A. j. Hanscom, b. Il. Lush,
baugh, A. j. Poppletln, John |. Redick.
Ezra Willard, Il. Esterbrook, Il. B. Tay.
Tor, George Nj Mills, w. r. Sapp, jesse
Lowe, o. p, Hurford, Edward Creighton
j. j. Brown, and George b. Lake. Mr.
A j. Hanscom was appointed president
Of tho day. The com uittee hastily ar
ranged a programme OF exercises, ant
6xeu the hour for the ceremonies at /.
o'clock in the afternoon. 1t was n pleas
ant day, the sun shining brightly and tin,
Thermometer indicating 46 above zero,
Eat the hour named q crowd of abou
1000 people assembled and marched
Town to the place where the ground wa,
to he formally broken. This sppt va,
near the ferry landing and the sold tele
graph poles" not far from tho poin.
where the water works are now located
rh's initial point Of the Union PaciG,
has long since been washed away by tn,
Missouri river, together with about on,
nile OF the hrst track laid, which wa
included in the m asuremont Of the ir,
twenty mules. For thi. 6rst mile. n
well AZ for every mile, tire Union Pacif
received $4,000 and $4,000 acres o
land.
} A .tase-ooaeh belonging to the wsst