Cozad 150th Anniversary Celebration
Kelli O’Brien (right), Union Pacific's director - Public Affairs, presented a commemorative shadowbox to Cozad Mayor Nancy Meyer (left). Photo credit: Lexington Clipper-Herald
Union Pacific celebrated the 150th anniversary of the railroad reaching Cozad, Nebraska, at a community celebration on October 14, 2016. Cozad and Union Pacific have intertwined histories: by crossing the 100th meridian line — an invisible, yet critical geographic marker — near Cozad on Oct. 6, 1866, Union Pacific was guaranteed the right to continue westward construction, as stipulated in the Pacific Railway Act of 1862. This milestone meant Union Pacific could proceed west to meet the Central Pacific Railroad, and in the process continue to receive land grants on either side of the tracks and a per-mile subsidy loaned to them by the U.S. government. Its significance is marked with a 100th meridian sign that still stands today. Union Pacific continues to operate in Cozad, hauling the raw and finished goods Americans use daily.
"Union Pacific is proud to serve the mission given to us by our founding father, President Abraham Lincoln – to connect and support this country and the communities, like Cozad, that define it," said Kelli O’Brien, director-Public Affairs. "The shadow box presentation and steam locomotive display dually commemorate our shared past and vibrant future together."