Alameda Terminal

Alameda Terminal was a railroad station located in Alameda, California on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay.

It was built in 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad as part of the First Transcontinental Railroad project and was designated the western terminus of the line.

The Pacific Railroad Act passed by the United States Congress in 1862 authorized construction of a transcontinental railroad and telegraph line which was to connect the Central Pacific in the west with the Union Pacific Railroad in the east. The first construction activity took the line east from Sacramento. Subsequently the line was opened from Sacramento to San Jose. During June 1869, construction was started near Niles (now part of Fremont), and by August a temporary connection had been made at San Leandro with the San Francisco and Alameda Railroad. On September 6 1869, the first Central Pacific train reached San Francisco Bay at Alameda Terminal.

Following the 1885 leasing of the Central Pacific by the Southern Pacific Railroad, the Alameda Terminal became an important passenger and freight station for the SP system.

The site of the building is now a California Historical Landmark (#440) and is located within Naval Air Station Alameda.

References

* [http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=21388 California Historical Landmarks]