The Railroad Comes To Town

Aug 24, 2007 08:30:34

In the spring of 1866, the Union Pacific surveyors laid out and platted a town called Grand Island, which at that time had a population of 500. On July 8, 1868, the railroad extended to Grand Island. The first depot was set up as a tent, but construction soon followed for a combined depot and hotel. This railroad and the Overland Route contributed to significant growth for Grand Island. At that time, gold had been discovered at Pike’s Peak in Colorado. Thousands of people traveled to Western states in seek of great fortune. Everything that Grand Island sold was offered at high prices, bringing financial gain for its merchants. By 1870, the census reported that Grand Island’s population had grown to 1,057 people.