Location, Location, Location

A transcontinental railroad as Asa Whitney proposed, found political obstacles in Congress.  Men were determined that their own constitutes should benefit from the rails.  Men like Jefferson Davis of Mississippi, Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri and Stephen Douglas of Illinois all wanted the proposed railroad to pass through their respective states.

Senator Benton proposed his own route, called the Buffalo Trail from St. Louis to San Francisco. He sent out his brother-in-law, John Fremont to survey the route in 1848.  Fremont thought he knew an easy passage through the Rockies but along with 35 men became snowbound instead.  Fremont reported back that the survey was "entirely satisfactory" even though 10 of his men perished.

Meanwhile a southern route that would link California and the Southwest would create bonds of self interest with the slavery issue.  Davis claimed that the "Southern Trail" would be easier to build and less influenced by the snows of the north. 

In 1853, the Army Corps was authorized to find a practical, working solution to the problem within 10 months.  Captain Andrew A. Humphreys and his selected team studied the topographical maps and surveys for the United States.  The northern route from the Great Lakes along the Missouri River to the Puget Sound was supported by Senator Stephen Douglas, while the Southern Trail was supported by Jefferson Davis and the Buffalo Trail was supported by Thomas Hart Benton.  Politics, Politics, Politics...

A fourth route from Fort Smith, Arkansas to Los Angeles had the advantage of tying in the Mississippi Valley, thus linking with both northern and southern cities,  Could this be the compromise that would settle the transcontinental question?

Next time...the Political Solution
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Today in Pioneer History: "On April 2, 1805, Hans Christian Andersen, one of the world’s greatest storytellers, is born in Odensk, near Copenhagen. He entered the University of Copenhagen in 1828 and the following year, he published his literary spoof A Walk from Amager, which became his first important work. The first, Tales Told for Children, (1835) included “The Princess and the Pea.” Andersen released new collections every year or two for decades as he traveled widely in Europe, Africa, and Asia Minor. His stories include “The Ugly Duckling,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” He died in 1875 at age 70.