On May 9, 1969, the Centennial Plaque Special, a 23-car train with over 1,000 passengers, stopped at the Auburn Depot on Lincoln Way as part of a plaque dedication to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. The train began in Sacramento and stopped at Rocklin, Newcastle, Colfax and Truckee, where similar plaques were dedicated. A second train, the Golden Spike Special, which had 20 cars and just under 1,000 passengers, stopped at Roseville, Newcastle, Colfax and Truckee on its way to Ogden, Utah.
Placer County Sheriff William Scott was the master of ceremonies for the Auburn plaque dedication, which was also officiated by E. Coke Wood, chairman of the State Landmarks Commission, and Nanci Schumacher, a descendant of Mark Hopkins, one of the “Big Four” responsible for the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad, the western portion of the Transcontinental Railroad. The Placer High School Band provided celebratory music for the event.
The plaque, though a bit weathered and stained after 56 years, remains at the base of the tower between the First Foundation Bank and the Gold Rush Museum at the top of Lincoln Way in Auburn.
Placer County Museums staff photo: The “First Transcontinental Railroad Auburn” plaque.
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