First Transcontinental Railroad - Colfax

The railroad's president, who was also the governor, renamed the town after the Speaker of the House. Rails reached Illinoistown on 1 September 1865 and service began four days later; Stanford renamed the place for Schuyler Colfax, later Ulysses S. Grant's vice president. For ten months it was the construction supply depot and the junction for the stage lines. The bronze ends on the line that matters: the real assault on the Sierra began here.

What the plaque says

FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD COLFAX CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILS REACHED COLFAX, FORMERLY ILLINOISTOWN, SEPTEMBER 1, 1865, AND TRAIN SERVICE BEGAN FOUR DAYS LATER. COLFAX WAS A VITAL CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY DEPOT AND JUNCTION POINT FOR STAGE LINES FOR TEN MONTHS. IT WAS RENAMED BY GOVERNOR STANFORD IN HONOR OF SCHUYLER COLFAX, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND LATER ULYSSES S. GRANT'S VICE PRESIDENT. THE REAL ASSAULT ON THE SIERRA BEGAN HERE. CALIFORNIA REGISTERED HISTORICAL LANDMARK NO. 780-5 PLAQUE PLACED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION IN COOPERATION WITH THE CONFERENCE OF CALIFORNIA HISTORICAL SOCIETIES AND THE PLACER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. MAY 9, 1969

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Empire Mine State Historic Park — 8.7 mi
  The oldest, deepest, richest hard-rock gold mine in California, with 367 miles of flooded tunnels underneath.
• Nevada City — 12 mi
  Gaslamps, brick storefronts, and the Nisenan who are still fighting to be recognized on their own ground.
• Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park — 19 mi
  A canyon washed out of a mountain by water cannon, and the lawsuit that ended hydraulic mining.
• Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park — 21 mi
  The tailrace at Coloma where a carpenter found gold in January 1848 and the world came running.

More markers nearby

• Iowa Hill — 4.9 mi
• Yankee Jims — 6.9 mi
• Gold Run — 7.2 mi
• Overland Emigrant Trail — 7.8 mi