Event Calendar

Friday, March 29, 2024

Meet the Author: Chris Enss, Women Who Helped Build the American Railroad

Start Date: 8/19/2021 1:00 PM EDT
End Date: 8/19/2021 2:00 PM EDT

Venue Name: Webinar

Location:
410 First Street SE
Suite 200
Washington, DC  United States  20003

Event Website: https://www.railwaywomen.org/webinars

Organization Name: League of Railway Women

Contact:
Kari Gonzales
Email: learning@railwaywomen.org
Phone: (202) 715-2921

Sponsor: Speaker Bios and Registration Link

Website: Coming Soon!

When the last spike was hammered into the steel track of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Point, Utah, Western Union lines sounded the glorious news of the railroad’s completion from New York to San Francisco. 

For more than five years an estimated four thousand men mostly Irish working west from Omaha and Chinese working east from Sacramento, moved like a vast assembly line toward the end of the track. 

Editorials in newspapers and magazines praised the accomplishment and some boasted that the work that “was begun, carried on, and completed solely by men.” 

The August edition of Godey’s Lady’s Book even reported “No woman had laid a rail and no woman had made a survey.” 

Although the physical task of building the railroad had been achieved by men, women made significant and lasting contributions to the historic operation.

~~~

We're so excited to welcome New York Times best selling author, Chris Enss, to share a selection of stories from her new book, "Iron Women: The Ladies Who Helped Build the Railroad", recounting the contributions of women in rail, on Thursday, August 19 at 1 p.m. ET.

Rail LARP'ers, history buffs and intrepid bibliophiles are welcome to attend this session!

Please send your questions to Chris at learning@railwaywomen.org. She'll also be taking your questions during the session. Don't miss it!