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May 18, 1868
Letter from Oliver Ames to Thomas C. Durant, May 18, 1868
In this letter from May 18, 1868, Oliver Ames writes to Thomas C. Durant chastising him for superseding General Grenville Dodge by granting Col. Silas Seymour the full power of Chief Engineer. Ames states that Durant was not given the power to "direct the Chief Engineer where he should locate the Road," that the Chief Engineer is responsible to the Board of Directors, and that it is ultimately up to the Board of Directors to decide "whether the Location is properly made or not."
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April 16, 1868
Letter from Oliver Ames to Thomas C. Durant, April 16, 1868
In this letter from April 16, 1868, Oliver Ames writes to Thomas C. Durant discussing some suggestions he has received from General Grenville Dodge regarding provisions for water along the railroad line. He notes, "we are getting along very well in our money matters."
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April 2, 1868
Letter from Oliver Ames to Thomas C. Durant, April 2, 1868
In this letter from April 2, 1868, Oliver Ames writes to Thomas C. Durant discussing construction and the organization of work forces for the upcoming season's work on the railroad. He also advises Durant to meet in person with representatives of the Chicago and North Western Railroad to settle disagreements over the contract Durant made with them, stating "we cannot afford to have any trouble this Season with Them that will make them give a preference to other freight over ours." Ames states that he believes the Union Pacific Railroad will be "flush" after they receive government bonds in July and sell their first mortgage bonds.
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March 30, 1868
Letter from Oakes Ames to Thomas C. Durant, March 30, 1868
In this letter from March 30, 1868, Oakes Ames writes to Thomas C. Durant discussing the report and recommendations his committee will make to Congress regarding oversight of operations on the Union Pacific Railroad. He states that he thinks the report is "a great thing to us to keep them [Congress] off until the road is done," but tells Durant "if you think of anything better that will probably pass, send it down and I will try to get it substituted if I think it better."
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January 1, 1868
Letter from Oliver Ames to Thomas C. Durant, January 1, 1868
In this letter from January 1, 1868, Oliver Ames writes to Thomas C. Durant regarding the financial status of the Union Pacific Railroad. He notes that several creditors are "clamorous for money," but that the company has "really nothing to raise the money with." He tells Durant that it would be a disgrace to have to suspend construction for want of funds and advises him to "discharge all unnecessary men at once and get no more ties and timber than is absolutely necessary for the Work."
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December 27, 1867 | Letter
Letter from Grenville Dodge to Samuel B. Reed, December 27, 1867
In this letter from December 27, 1867, Grenville Dodge writes to Samuel Reed, affirming his support for Reed's work. Dodge states that Reed has been blamed for the construction problems in 1867 "when you ought not to be." He also advises Reed to "steer clear of New York complications" during construction in the upcoming season.
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December 11, 1867
Letter from Grenville M. Dodge to Oliver Ames, December 11, 1867
In this letter from December 11, 1867, Grenville Dodge writes to Oliver Ames discussing the need to make preparations and increase facilities for getting water along the railroad line. He tells Ames that unless such work is done, "you will find that it will be very costly to supply it each year from Stations or tanks."
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September 22, 1867 | Letter
Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Wife and Family, September 22, 1867
In this letter from September 22, 1867, Samuel Reed writes to his wife and family describing his desire to resign his position and return home to Chicago. He is sick of the "wild life" and "untold dangers seen and unseen."
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July 30, 1867 | Letter
Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Wife and Family, July 30, 1867
In this letter from July 30, 1867, Samuel Reed writes to his wife and family describing his return trip after leaving Chicago, where he was visiting his family. Reed apologizes to his wife for visiting "several" saloons and other "dens of vice and crime" in Julesburg after his return. He gives a detailed account of his activities, which illustrates the availability of such diversions along the western portion of the Union Pacific Railroad.
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April 5, 1867 | Letter
Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Wife and Family, April 5, 1867
In this letter from April 5, 1867, Samuel Reed writes to his wife and family describing the expected arrival of Union Pacific Vice-President Thomas Durant. Reed also notes an attempt by a representative of Ames & Company to overhaul the construction department's books and vouchers.
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1867
Report from Samuel B. Reed to Oliver Ames, 1867
In this copy of a report from 1867, Samuel Reed writes to Oliver Ames, President of the Union Pacific Railroad, detailing the progress of the railroad's construction over the past year. He describes the totality of the work that has been done on the railroad from October 1, 1866 to September 1, 1867, giving very specific accounts of the miles of track laid, telegraph lines built, railroad ties used, bridges constructed, amount of earth and rock excavated during grading, and the like. He also discusses the great difficulty he has had in obtaining ties for the railroad, particularly from the Black Hills and in the area of Laurence Fork, Nebraska. He writes that there have been "serious delays in grading and in furnishing ties caused by the decided hostility of the Indians, our grading men have been frequently attacked, some men have been killed and a large amount of stock lost." Reed also includes an account of the materials on hand as of September 1, 1867.
