Theodore D. Judah

Theodore Judah (1826-1863) was a talented young civil engineer when he came to California to work on the Sacramento Valley Railroad. While working on that project, he became convinced that a transcontinental railroad running through the Sierra Nevada to the east was possible. Many people scoffed, the terrain was too rocky and the grades too steep for tracks to be laid. Judah persisted in his dream – earning him the nickname “Crazy Judah.”
Judah recruited financial backers, four businessmen from Sacramento who eventually became known as the “Big Four.” After conducting numerous surveys, he identified a possible route through the mountains over Donner Summit. He also lobbied Congress to support the Pacific Railroad Act, which was signed in 1862. Having accomplished all of this, construction of the Central Pacific Railroad from Sacramento to Utah, began in 1863. Sadly, Judah did not live to see his dream become reality. He died of Yellow Fever on November 2, 1863.