In 1864, the CPRR began hiring Chinese workers in a desperate attempt to meet its deadline. Many of the first Chinese workers were already in California, lured by the gold rush in the late 1840s and early 1850s. Still others were recruited from China, with promises of work and wages stable. Ultimately, about 20,000 Chinese were working on the railroad, representing up to 90% of the CPRR workforce, according to CRWNAP.
From the east, the Union Pacific Railroad had begun building westward. The CPRR portion of the project was unquestionably more difficult, as their tracks had to traverse the mighty Sierra Nevada – a mountain range towering over 14,000 feet in elevation – before joining the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad.
Establishing this route meant clearing brush, leveling the hill and laying the tracks, which was also mostly done by Chinese laborers. They often worked 10 to 11 hour days, six days a week, and didn’t stop during the winter, when storms could dump several feet of snow in a day. But despite their commitment, some were only paid half the price of white workers, according to CRWNAP. The CPRR also didn’t bother to keep track of their identities, casually referring to them as “John Chinamen”.
After the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, every effort was made to eradicate all people of Chinese descent from the United States through local and state laws, mob attacks, and lynchings. Some returned to China, although a small number were hired to maintain the railway. The rest tried to settle in places such as Truckee, California, a major railroad town near Donner Summit. They established businesses such as laundry services and restaurants. At one time, Chinese immigrants comprised 30-40% of Truckee’s population. But it soon became clear that they were not welcome.
