Nothing Like it in the World: The Epic Saga of the Transcontinental Railroad

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. Prof. Brett Barker will describe this major project at 6:30 p.m., Monday, March 18, 2019, at Spencer High School, 300 School Street, Spencer. This presentation is part of the History Speaks in Your Town series presented by the Marathon County Historical Society and the Continuing Education office of UW-Stevens Point at Wausau. The building of the first transcontinental railroad, linking the Pacific coast with the Midwest, remains one of the greatest examples of engineering skill and human perseverance. In this talk, Brett Barker will explain the design and conception of the railroad, its shaky beginnings during the Civil War, and the five-year struggle to complete it. From railroad magnate to ordinary worker, the human dimension of the story will be a particular focus. Climb aboard for this stirring 19th-century American drama. Brett Barker received his Ph.D. from UW-Madison and is Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin campus in Wausau where he has taught since 2002. He is a member of the Marathon County Historical Society Board of Directors and author of Exploring Civil War Wisconsin: A Survival Guide for Researchers. This talk is free and open to the public. Donations are appreciated. Registration is not required. The Historical Society is grateful to Janke Book Store and to Compass Properties for their sponsorship of the History Speaks series, and to the Murco Foundation and the Larry and Elsie Lohr Fund for their support for History Speaks In Your Town. For more information, please call the Marathon County Historical Society at 715-842-5750.