Category Archives: Union Pacific
Nineteenth Century Internet
The title “Nineteenth Century Internet” may be a stretch, but in effect that was what the invention of the telegraph did for the world in the middle of the 1800s. I wrote about this phenomenon in my regular blog post on … Continue reading
Fort D. A. Russell, Wyoming
Eagle Talons, The Iron Horse Chronicles–Book One, contains scenes of Will Braddock, the young protagonist, recovering from injuries and eventually “escaping” from the hospital at Fort D. A. Russell. In July 1867, Braddock had accompanied General Grenville M. Dodge into the southeast … Continue reading
Lodgepole Creek in Eagle Talons
Lodgepole Creek features prominently in Eagle Talons, The Iron Horse Chronicles–Book One. The creek rises in the Laramie Range of the Rocky Mountains in southeastern Wyoming, flows eastward across the southwestern corner of Nebraska, and joins the South Platte River … Continue reading
Julesburg—A Tale of Four Cities
Julesburg, Colorado, has the unusual distinction of existing in four different locations. The current and fourth Town of Julesburg, advertising itself as the “Gateway to Colorado,” is a pleasant community of about 1,200 persons. It is located on the South … Continue reading
Writing While Cruising
I managed to get in some writing while cruising onboard the Crown Princess this past week. My wife, Barbara, and I embarked from San Pedro harbor in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 3, on a seven-day California Coastal Cruise. We returned to the same harbor on … Continue reading
Upper California Crossing, Julesburg, Colorado
[media-credit name=”William H. Jackson” align=”aligncenter” width=”900″][/media-credit] The Upper California Crossing, where Lodgepole Creek joins the South Platte River near Julesburg, Colorado, served wagon train travelers as the principal place to cross from the south to the north side of the wide … Continue reading
Bear Claws Reviewed by Readers’ Favorite
Readers’ Favorite has awarded its Five Star seal to Bear Claws, The Iron Horse Chronicles–Book Two, and has provided the following review by Jack Magnus: “Bear Claws: The Iron Horse Chronicles, Book Two is a historical coming of age novel … Continue reading
Sod Houses
Will Braddock, in Eagle Talons, The Iron Horse Chronicles–Book One, encountered sod houses on the Nebraska prairie during his first train ride on the Union Pacific. I described what Will saw from the open doorway of the boxcar in which … Continue reading
A Steam Locomotive’s Tender
A steam locomotive could not operate without its tender. In recent posts I have written about how the locomotive works, but the engine must have fuel and water to produce the steam. The tender is the car that is hooked immediately behind … Continue reading
Golden Spike Anniversary
May 10, 2015, is the one hundred forty-sixth anniversary of the driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit, Utah, commemorating the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. This event signified the joining of the west coast to the east coast of the United … Continue reading
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