Near Valparaiso in Porter County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Building the Railroad
Western States 1860s
Photographed by Daniel Barriball, February 21, 2026
1. Building The Railroad Marker
Bold vision and astonishing effort built America's Transcontinental Railroadthe first rail line in the world to cross a continent. The railroad united the young nation, opening up the vast interior and bringing together people from around the world.
Promontory Summit, Utah May 10, 1869
"The last rail is laid! The last spike driven! The Pacific Railroad is completed." Telegram sent to President Grant
West Meets East In Utah
In 1869, two locomotives faced each other on the iron rail that spanned a continent. Seven years earlier, Congress had chartered two railroad companies to build the Transcontinental, awarding land and money for each mile of track completed. Rival armies of workersup to 15,000 from each directionraced through the mountains and across plains to lay the most tracks.
Central Pacific Railroad
Direction: East over the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Miles of track laid: 690
Number of tunnels dug: 15
Most miles of track laid in one day: 10
Union Pacific Railroad
Direction: West across the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains
Miles of track laid: 1,087
Number of tunnels dug: 4
Most miles of track laid in one day: 8
Photo caption:
Ten miles of track =
25,800 cross-ties
3,520
this page online
55,000 spikes to hold it all together
Erected 2011 by Taltree Arboretum & Gardens.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical date for this entry is May 10, 1869.
Location. 41° 26.698′ N, 87° 8.972′ W. Marker is near Valparaiso, Indiana, in Porter County. It can be reached from West 100 North west of Summerhill Drive, on the right when traveling east. This marker is part of the Railway Garden at Gabis Arboretum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 450 W 100 N, Valparaiso IN 46385, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Indiana. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Civil War (here, next to this marker); Coal Mine (a few steps from this marker); Lincoln's Funeral Train (a few steps from this marker); Logging (a few steps from this marker); A Changing Land (within shouting distance of this marker); City Center (within shouting distance of this marker); Limestone Quarry (within shouting distance of this marker); Small Town Life (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Valparaiso.
More about this marker. Taltree Arboretum was renamed Gabis Arboretum after it was acquired by Purdue University Northwest in 2018.
Also see . . .
Photographed by Daniel Barriball, February 21, 2026
2. Building The Railroad Marker in context
The Railway Garden spans two full acres and tells amazing stories of American railroads in the context of a large display garden using G-gauge miniature trains.(Submitted on February 23, 2026, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 23, 2026, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. This page has been viewed 46 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 23, 2026, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
