The Union Pacific railroad met the Central Pacific line on May 19, 1869. With a transcontinental railroad, America was roaring into the future. The nation was now connected. At this time though a train needed a water station every 9 miles and a siding which allowed trains to pass each other was needed.The Union Pacific met this need by placing sidings every few miles. Ogallala(originally spelled Oglala) named after the Sioux Indians became a siding with a section house of 6 men hired for the work. Louis Aufdengarten a worker opened his supply store for buffalo hunters(mentioned in previous post) and Phillip and Thomas Lonergan also workers for the railroad brought the first herd of cattle to graze on the valleys. Ogallalas siding was unique in that many trains leaving west arrived at Oglala about 12 noon sharp. With hungry travelers seeking lunch The section house began doubling as a dining hall serving steaks and apple pie cooked by two men from North Platte. In 1871 The section house was enlarged, a depot(see 1887 photo above) was built and a water tower was present to cool the steam powered locomotives. Huts for the workers quickly sprang up and the very beginnings of Ogallala began to emerge. (See part 2 later)
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 06:19:07 +0000
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