Alameda Terminal

Alameda Terminal (a.k.a. Alameda Wharf) was a railroad station and ferry wharf at the foot and west of present-day Pacific Avenue and Main Street in Alameda, California, on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay with ferry service to San Francisco. It was built in 1864 and operated by the San Francisco and Alameda Railroad. In 1869, it served as the original west coast terminus of the U.S. First transcontinental railroad, until the opening of Oakland Pier two months later. The western terminus was inaugurated September 6, 1869, when the first Western Pacific through train from Sacramento reached the shores of San Francisco Bay at Alameda Terminal, thus completing the first transcontinental railroad to the Pacific coast.

History

In 1863, Alfred A. Cohen, a San Francisco lawyer, along with his associates, formulated plans to build a railroad and wharf to carry passengers not only to Alameda, but also by ferry to San Francisco. In 1864, he built a 3,750-foot-long wharf, starting from a spot near today's Pacific Avenue and Main Street westward, into the Bay at that time, and ending at part of today's Alameda Point where the USS Hornet sits anchored. On August 25, 1864, Cohen inaugurated passenger service, for 25 cents, from the wharf at Vallejo and Davis Street in San Francisco, via the leased river packet ''Sophie MacLane'', to the Alameda Wharf and then five miles to his San Francisco and Alameda Railroad High St station. In September 1864, he leased the slightly larger ''Contra Costa''. As business grew, he replaced the leased boat, in February 1866, with his very own ferry boat, the ''Alameda''.

First transcontinental train

After the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 authorized construction of the First transcontinental railroad and telegraph line, the first construction activity took place in 1863 eastward from Sacramento on the Central Pacific Railroad line. In October 1864, the Central Pacific Railroad assigned all the rights of the Pacific Railway Acts to the Western Pacific Railroad for the route between Sacramento and San Jose, including land grants. The plan was that the transcontinental railroad would follow the Western Pacific from Sacramento to San Jose and then connect with the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad (SF&SJ), completed in 1864, to San Francisco.

By 1866, Western Pacific had built of track north and east from San Jose, reaching halfway into Niles Canyon, to about Farwell near MilePost33. The Western Pacific used 500 Chinese laborers to grade and construct the rail line into the rugged canyon with its tight curves and narrow banks. Construction was then halted because of disagreements between the railroad's contractors and its financiers.

In 1868, Central Pacific Railroad, a subsidiary of which had acquired the Western Pacific and Oakland Point, restarted work on the Western Pacific Railroad line starting at Sacramento working southward, as well as near Lathrop and Livermore, using upwards to 2,000 Chinese laborers. The new plan was to connect with Oakland and Oakland Point with its ferry service to San Francisco. After the golden spike ceremony at Promontory Summit, work resumed in June 1869 in Niles Canyon with track laying towards Livermore. Also in June 1869, J. H. Strobridge came to Niles (then Vallejo Mills Fremont.html"_;"title="Fremont,_California.html"_;"title="ow_part_of_Fremont,_California">Fremont">Fremont,_California.html"_;"title="ow_part_of_Fremont,_California">Fremont_to_oversee_the_construction_of_the_new_line,_with_his_crew_of_up_to_600_Chinese_laborers,_heading_towards_Oakland._By_midsummer,_Governor_Stanford_made_known_his_hopes_that_the_line_be_finished_in_time_for_the_opening_of_the_State_Fair_on_September_6._Thus_in_September_1869,_a_temporary_connection_was_made_at_the_bay_side_(west_of_Alvarado_and_Davis_Sts)_of_San_Leandro,_California.html" "title="Fremont,_California">Fremont.html" ;"title="Fremont,_California.html" ;"title="ow part of Fremont, California">Fremont">Fremont,_California.html" ;"title="ow part of Fremont, California">Fremont to oversee the construction of the new line, with his crew of up to 600 Chinese laborers, heading towards Oakland. By midsummer, Governor Stanford made known his hopes that the line be finished in time for the opening of the State Fair on September 6. Thus in September 1869, a temporary connection was made at the bay side (west of Alvarado and Davis Sts) of San Leandro, California">San Leandro