HomeMy WebLinkAbout84-123 - Chinese Railroad Building PioneersRESOLUTION NO. 84 -123
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF NEWPORT BEACH RECOGNIZING AND COMMENDING
THE CHINESE RAILROAD BUILDING PIONEERS
• WHEREAS, in 1865, the Central Pacific Railroad, headed
by the "Big Four" (Huntington, Stanford, Hopkins and Crocker),
began construction on the western portion of the first trans-
continental railroad by hiring Chinese railroad builders; and
WHEREAS, Chinese crews tackled the most formidable
tasks and the railroads these men worked on, more than any other
factor, helped make the United States a united nation; and
WHEREAS, working with skill, discipline, self- sacrifice
and devotion, it was the Chinese builders who hastened completion
of the Union Pacific Railroad long before the deadline imposed by
Congress; and
WHEREAS, the Central Pacific Railroad has been
described as "the greatest engineering feat of the 19th century"
and it is so mainly because of the efforts by Chinese railroad
workers in completing its construction; and
WHEREAS, as a further result of the Chinese railroad
building pioneers' work on other railways, this country has five
transcontinental railroad lines; and
WHEREAS, many of these Chinese railroad workers
suffered great losses including lives due to mountainside granite
blasting, bitter cold winters in the rugged Sierra and scorching
sun across the deserts of Nevada and Utah; and
WHEREAS, the Chinese - American Historical and Cultural
Council of the Bowers Museum Foundation will honor the Chinese
pioneer railroad builders of the West on October 13, 1984.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of
• the City of Newport Beach does hereby recognize the important
contribution and sacrifice made by Chinese railroad builders;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Newport Beach
joins in commending these Chinese railroad workers as a group of
pioneers who played a major role in building the network of rail-
roads that was the transport base of America's industrial might
in the 20th Century.
ADOPTED this 9th day of October , 1984.
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ATT ST:
City Clerk
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