1. Charles Crocker was an American railroad executive who was one of the founders of the Central Pacific Railroad, which constructed the westernmost portion of the first transcontinental railroad, and took control with partners of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
Charles Crocker was the son of Eliza and Isaac Crocker, a modest family.
Charles Crocker soon became independent, working on several farms, a sawmill, and at an iron forge.
Charles Crocker used money saved from his earnings to invest later in the new railroad business after moving to California, which had become a boom state since the Gold Rush.
Charles Crocker bought train plows to plow the tracks of snow through the mountains, but they derailed due to ice on the tracks.
Charles Crocker had more than 40 miles of snow sheds built to cover the tracks in the Sierra Nevada mountains, to prevent the tracks from getting covered with snow in the winter.
In 1864, Charles Crocker asked his older brother Edwin to serve as legal counsel for the Central Pacific Railroad.
On September 5,1876, at the Lang Southern Pacific Station, a California Historic Landmark, Charles Crocker hammered a golden spike into a railroad tie, the ceremonial spike was driven to celebrate the completion of San Joaquin Valley rail line.
Charles Crocker was briefly the controlling shareholder of Wells Fargo in 1869 and served as president.
Charles Crocker acquired controlling interest for his son William in Woolworth National Bank, which was renamed Charles Crocker-Anglo Bank.
Charles Crocker was seriously injured in a New York City carriage accident in 1886, never fully recovered, and died two years later on August 14,1888.
Charles Crocker was buried in a mausoleum located on "Millionaire's Row" at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California.
Charles Crocker's estate has been valued at between $300 million and $400 million at the time of his death in 1888.