Category Archives: Union Pacific
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
The Beauty of 4-4-0 Locomotives
The 4-4-0 locomotive was a thing of beauty that is hard to appreciate from photography of the mid-nineteenth century. Color photography did not exist during the heyday of the locomotive that “built” the first transcontinental railroad. One of the most famous … Continue reading
Will Braddock’s Hat
[media-credit name=”Miller Hats” align=”alignleft” width=”228″][/media-credit] Will Braddock leaves Burlington, Iowa, wearing his father’s old Army slouch hat when he embarks upon his quest to determine his own destiny in Eagle Talons, The Iron Horse Chronicles–Book One. In Chapter 1, I describe … Continue reading
Will Braddock’s Canteen
When Will Braddock leaves his Burlington, Iowa, home to commence his quest, as told in the early chapters of Eagle Talons, The Iron Horse Chronicles–Book One, he takes with him his father’s Civil War canteen. Jonathan Braddock, Will’s father, was serving as a … Continue reading
Will Braddock’s Haversack
In Eagle Talons, The Iron Horse Chronicles–Book One, Will Braddock leaves home in Burlington, Iowa, taking his father’s Civil War haversack with him. As I pointed out in my blog post on November 10, he carries his father’s Colt .44-caliber revolver, … Continue reading
Will Braddock’s Pistol Accessories
When Will Braddock left his home in Burlington, Iowa, to commence his quest to determine his own destiny, he took with him his father’s Army Colt .44-caliber revolver and two pouches. The larger of the two pouches held the cartridges. Each paper-wrapped … Continue reading
Eagle Talons’ Country
The action in Eagle Talons, The Iron Horse Chronicles–Book One, takes place predominately in southeastern Wyoming (when it was still part of the Dakota Territory) and northeastern Colorado. Will Braddock starts his quest from his birthplace in Burlington, Iowa. He passes through Omaha, Nebraska, in … Continue reading
Golden Spike Reenactment
On May 10, 2014, the Golden Spike National Historic Site held a reenactment of the joining of the Union Pacific Railroad with the Central Pacific Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. The reenactment was held on the 145th anniversary of the driving of … Continue reading
Union Pacific Railroad Museum
[media-credit name=”Union Pacific Railroad Museum” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]The Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa, provides a wonderful experience for the student of the history of the first transcontinental railroad and the reader of my frontier historical novels. This photo is taken from the museum’s website.
Grenville M. Dodge: Who was he?
Will Braddock, the young fictional protagonist of Eagle Talons, Book One in The Iron Horse Chronicles, seeks out historical personage Grenville M. Dodge to ask for help in pursuing his quest to determine his own destiny. In developing the backstory … Continue reading
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