In the Catskill Mountains , Pratt built the largest tannery in the world at its time , and built the town of Prattsville to accommodate the labor force necessary for the tannery , raising the town 's population from around 500 to over 2000 . Pratt was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1836 and 1842 . During his second term , in 1845 he first proposed the transcontinental railroad . In 1848 , Pratt tried but failed to receive the Democratic/Hunker nomination for the 1848 New York state gubernatorial election . He was a delegate to the 1852 Democratic National Convention
1852 Democratic National Convention
1852 Democratic National Convention
Zadock Pratt