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Biographical Notes
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Leland Stanford
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The transcontinental telegraph line had been completed on October 23, 1961, and was an important development in Lincoln's effort to tie California to the Union and keep it from either joining with the Confederacy or proclaiming itself a separate Republic. Stanford's election as Governor of California was another important element in as much as he was staunchly in support of the Union and a vigorous opponent to slavery. On the day of his inaugural, January 10, 1862, Sacramento suffered its worst flood in recorded history. Travel was, of necessity, by boat to and from the capitol, then located at I and 7th Streets. (On his return to his home, Stanford found the first floor under water and he had to climb through a second floor window to retrieve his personal effects.) Governor Stanford did not stand for reelection in 1863 saying that he wished to devote all of his time to the affairs of the Central Pacific Railroad. (He was the last governor to be elected for a two year term. All subsequent governors served four year terms.)
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Stanford had joined with Huntington, Hopkins and Crocker to found the Central Pacific Railroad Company on June 28, 1861. Stanford was elected president of the company and used his position as Governor of California to further the railroad's interests. President Lincoln supported the concept of a transcontinental railroad as being another important link between the Union and California and important
Federal assistance was made available. Construction of the line commenced in Sacramento on January 8, 1963. Charles Crocker directed the actual construction, C.P. Huntington handled relations with the Federal Government in Washington D.C. and with the Eastern financial community, and Mark Hopkins kept an eye on the company's finances. As president, Stanford was the public face of the company in California and usually took the lead in dealing with state politics.
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Construction of the railroad across the Sierra Mountains was exceptionally difficult, but the hurdle was overcome and the Central Pacific Railroad linked to the Union Pacific at the summit of Promontory Mountain in Utah on May 10, 1869. With the completion of the transcontinental line Stanford and his partners went on to build a railroad empire in California and beyond which dominated transportation in the state and attracted a great deal of political criticism. Stanford was frequently called on to speak in defense of the company both publicly and privately and suspicion was rampant that he used the company's wealth to ensure political support in local governments throughout the state. In the fall of 1873 the headquarters of the Central Pacific Railroad was moved from Sacramento to San Francisco (Fourth and Townsend Streets).
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Stanford and his Central Pacific Railroad partners completed the construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad to Los Angeles in 1876 and linked it to New Orleans in 1883. Stanford was elected Senator in 1885 on the Republican ticket and he moved to Washington D.C. In 1885 the Central Pacific Railroad was leased to the Southern Pacific Railroad and the partners controlled a total of 4,711 miles of track from California through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas to Louisiana. During the 1870s and 1880s Stanford assembled a large estate south of San Francisco and began breeding horses. By the end of the 1880s the Palo Alto stock Farm amounted to more than 8,000 acres and was producing some of the very finest trotting horses in the nation. (The famous "Horse in Motion" photograph was executed at the Stock Farm in 1877 by Edweard J. Muybridge.) During this period Stanford also owned 55,000 acres of land in Vina, California where he unsuccessfully experimented in grape growing and champagne production.
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The Stanford's only son, Leland, Junior, died in Florence, Italy, on March 13, 1884, while the family was vacationing in Europe. The parents were heartbroken and decided to use their wealth to establish a university as a memorial to their son. On November 11, 1885, Mr. and Mrs. Stanford, established a board of trustees to govern the new university. Land from their Palo Alto Stock Farm and the Vina vineyard were deeded to the university and construction on the first buildings were begun in 1887. Stanford University opened in 1891 with David Starr Jordan serving as its first president. That same year Stanford was reelected to the Senate. Stanford's partner, C.P. Huntington, did not approve of Stanford's second candidacy having committed himself to support Aaron A. Sargent for the position. Relations between Huntington and Stanford deteriorated dramatically and resulted in a long bitter and very public fight between the two men.
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Leland Stanford died in his sleep at home on June 20, 1893.
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