Southern Pacific railroad company

The Southern Pacific Railroad was founded in 1865 and was purchased in 1869 by Collis Huntington, Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker and Mark Hopkins, better known as the Big Four. It was the first railroad to connect Los Angeles to the rest of California and its lines extended as far as New Orleans. In 1901, the Union Pacific Railroad bought 38% of Southern Pacific stock and took control of the company, but the Union Pacific was ultimately forced to divest these shares in 1912 by the U.S. Supreme Court in an anti-trust case. During World War II, the Southern Pacific Co. played a major role in military transportation in the U.S., transporting personnel and equipment along the west coast. In 1983, Southern Pacific and Santa Fe Railroads announced their intentions to merge and organize the company into the Santa Fe Southern Pacific Corporation, but the merger was rejected in 1987. In 1996, the Union Pacific acquired Southern Pacific, making Union Pacific the largest railroad in the United States.

From the description of Southern Pacific Railroad Company records, 1862-1997. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 462019508

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