The Railroad Arrives in Santa Barbara County
| ORIGINS | |
| 1861 | Central Pacific Rail Road of California incorporated (June 28) to build the western portion of first transcontinental railroad in America (completed May 10, 1869). |
| 1865 | Southern Pacific Railroad Company is formed (Dec. 2) to build a transcontinental railroad along a more southern route. |
| 1885 | A new entity, the Southern Pacific Company, combines holdings of the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific Railroad Co., among others (1884-85). |
| 1886 | Southern Pacific Branch Railway is incorporated (April 12) to build portions of a route along the California coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles. |
| SOUTHERN PACIFIC BRANCH RAILWAY | |
| 1886 | Southern Pacific Branch Railway crews begin grading north of Saugus near Los Angeles (April). Company will build 91.5 miles of track northwest to Ellwood in the Goleta Valley. |
| Rails reach Piru (Dec. 18). | |
| 1887 | Grading commences west of the Ventura River (January). |
| First train reaches Santa Paula (Jan. 18). | |
| Scheduled train service from Los Angeles to Santa Paula commences (Feb. 9). | |
| Grading crosses Rincon Creek entering Santa Barbara County (March). | |
| Track work requires blasting on Ortega Hill, between modern-day Summerland and Montecito (April). | |
| First trains arrive in Ventura (May 18). | |
| Rails reach as far as Rincon Point (June 4). | |
| Track completed to Carpinteria (June 22). | |
| 1887 (cont’d) | Scheduled train service begins between Los Angeles and Carpinteria (July 1). |
| Rails reach Miramar in Montecito area (Aug. 9). | |
| Bridge over Estero on Santa Barbara’s Eastside completed; rails laid into city (Aug. 13). | |
| First train arrives in Santa Barbara from Los Angeles (Aug. 18, about 4:00 PM) with Engine No. 226 (a 4-4-0 locomotive), six coaches, two sleepers (“San Diego” and “California”) and a baggage car. | |
| First train leaves Santa Barbara for Los Angeles (Aug. 19, 11 AM). | |
| Grading takes place beyond Hope Ranch, west of Santa Barbara, along the route of today’s Vieja Drive (late August). | |
| Rails completed to Mission Street on Santa Barbara’s Westside (Sept. 15). | |
| Full Ventura Division opens. Construction halted at Ellwood in Goleta Valley (Dec. 21). | |
| CONTINUE: 2. Completion of the Coast Route, 1887-1901 |