1882: The Coming of the The Railroad
Congress approved the transcontinental railroad route along the 35th parallel in 1866 and facilitated the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad Company’s incorporation on the project. Railroad tracks projected to pass through northern New Mexico and Arizona began to be laid from Springfield, Missouri, in the 1870s. These tracks would eventually connect with the Southern Pacific Railroad at the Colorado River.
The railroad project came with an increased demand for lumber, which ignited the booming timber industry throughout northern Arizona. With the emergence of the Civil War, Congress directed their attention and funding toward the political and economic issues at hand. The war delayed the railroad project by several years, but upheld the national demand for lumber.
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[Canyon Diablo Bridge. NAU General Photograph Collections. NAU.PH.278.2.]
As the railroad approached Flagstaff, construction efforts were delayed 26 miles west of Winslow at Canyon Diablo. The construction crews worked tirelessly to build a stable bridge across the canyon, 225 feet above the canyon’s floor.
The above photo shows construction efforts at the bridge over Canyon Diablo. Building this bridge delayed the overall construction project of the railroad by two months. Meanwhile, logging and sawmill crews eagerly awaited the arrival of construction materials and supplies that were being transported along the developing railroad. The Canyon Diablo bridge project was completed in late July of 1882 and gained national attention as a groundbreaking innovation in railroad engineering.