In the fall of 1860, Charles Marsh, a surveyor, civil engineer and water company owner, met with Theodore Judah, a civil engineer, who had recently built the Sacramento Valley Railroad from Sacramento to Folsom, California and was working on the California Central Railroad to extend the former from Folsom to Marysville. Marsh, who had already surveyed a potential railroad route between Sacramento and Nevada City, California, a decade earlier, went with Judah into the Sierra Nevada Mountains. There they examined the Henness Pass Turnpike Company's route (Marsh was a founding director of that company). They measured elevations and distances, and discussed the possibility of a transcontinental railroad. Both were convinced that it could be done.Lindars, Dom. Manuscript, The Ditches of Nevada City, Chapter 24, Stories of Fire and Ice, anticipated publication date: Spring 2023."Railroad Route Discovered," The Nevada Journal, November 9, 1860, p. 2, Nevada City, California.Papers compiled by David Comstock, and "The Christine Freeman Directory," Searls Historical Library, Nevada City, California."Henness Pass Turnpike Co.," Daily National Democrat, p. 3, March 22, 1860, Marysville, California."Another Pioneer Gone," San Francisco Chronicle, p. 3, April 29, 1876, San Francisco, California.Wheat, Carl I. "A Sketch of the Life of Theodore D. Judah," California Historical Society Quarterly, p. 250, Volume IV, No. 3, September 1925. thumb|left|Gold Spike at the California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento, California. The museum also has a wall-sized painting of the Gold Spike ceremony which includes images of Charles Marsh and Leland Stanford (who were the only two Central Pacific directors to attend the Gold Spike ceremony at Promontory Summit, Utah).Comstock, David Allan. "Charles Marsh: Our Neglected Pioneer-Genius," Nevada County Historical Society Bulletin, p. 15, Volume 50, No. 2, April 1996, Nevada County Historical Society, Nevada City, California.
in the fAll oF 1860, chArles Marsh, a sURVeYor, civil engINeeR And water coMpAny ownEr, mEt with THEODorE JUDaH, A civil engIneEr, who hAd reCeNtly buIlt thE SacramEnTO valley rAILRoAd from sacraMeNtO TO FolsoM, californIa and Was workIng on the california ceNtraL Railroad tO exteNd The Former FroM FolsOm To maRYSvilLE. MarSh, whO HAd alREady sUrVeyeD a potenTIaL raIlroad roUTE betwEen SaCraMEntO anD nevAda City, calIforniA, A deCADE eArLier, WEnt With JuDAh Into thE siErra nevAda mounTAINs. there tHEy examiNed The HennESS PasS TUrnPike cOmpany'S rOuTe (marSh WAs a FoUndinG DIRecTOr oF tHat cOmpany). tHey measured eleVATIOnS and DistancEs, aNd DiSCusSeD the pOsSibiLIty of a transcontineNTAL RAIlroaD. BotH WErE cOnviNcEd that iT cOuLd be done.lindaRs, Dom. manuSCripT, the dItcHEs of nevada city, cHApTEr 24, storIeS of fIRe and icE, aNtiCipaTEd PubLicATiON datE: sprIng 2023."rAIlROad RoUte discOVerEd," the nEVaDa JOuRnaL, novEMbEr 9, 1860, p. 2, nevAdA ciTy, CAlifornia.paperS cOMpilED by DAVid comstOCk, And "the chriStine frEEMan DIrecTOrY," sEARls historical libRARy, nEVadA city, CALIfornIa."henness PAss tUrnpIKE co.," daily NAtioNal dEmocRAt, p. 3, MarCh 22, 1860, maRysvILle, cAlIfoRNIa."aNOTher pioNeeR goNE," SAn franciscO ChrONicLe, p. 3, apriL 29, 1876, San franCisco, caLIfoRnIa.WHeAt, cArl i. "a sketCh Of the lifE of thEodORe d. JuDah," CaLIfoRnia hisTorICal sOciEtY qUarterlY, P. 250, vOluMe iv, NO. 3, sEptemBeR 1925. thumB|LEft|golD SPikE aT tHE californIA STATE rAiLroad MuSeUm, SacrAmEnTO, calIfornia. the museUM aLSo has a WalL-siZed paintiNg oF thE golD spikE cerEMony whiCh iNcludEs imaGEs of cHarles MaRsh and LelAnd sTAnFord (wHO WerE tHe only two cEntRAl pacific dIrectors TO AttenD thE Gold spiKE ceremONy aT promontorY summit, UtaH).comstOcK, DaviD allan. "charles MarSh: our neglected piOneer-GeniuS," NEvada COUNty hiSToriCal sociEtY bUlletin, p. 15, volume 50, nO. 2, aPriL 1996, nevadA cOUnTy hISToriCAl socIetY, nevadA citY, california.