San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad

Short lived railroad from Stockton to Bakersfield (1895-1898)

Solid line shows rail route from Stockton to Bakersfield. Hanford station in 1910

The San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad was a California rail line between Stockton and Bakersfield constructed in the late 1890s and very shortly thereafter purchased by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad and became their Valley Division.[1][2]

The impetus for building the line was the monopoly position of the Southern Pacific Railroad, it being thought that a competitor would lower the prices being charged to farmers to ship their crops to San Francisco. Claus Spreckels, a leading sugar manufacturer, pledged $500,000 for the building of the line in January 1895, if $3,000,000 more could be raised. Many small investors contributed funds, giving it the nickname the "People's Railroad".[2] The line was constructed between 1895 and 1898. The first passenger train from Stockton to Fresno ran on October 5, 1896, to great fanfare.[3] Bakersfield also held a big celebration when it was reached on May 27, 1898. In both cases, news reports trumpeted how the towns were now free of the "tyranny" of Southern Pacific's monopoly.[2][4]

The quick sale to the Santa Fe before the end of 1898[5][6] disappointed many, but many backers believed combining with a larger partner was key to the line's success.[7]

The line still exists today as BNSF's Stockton Subdivision from Richmond to Fresno, and as the Bakersfield Subdivision from Fresno to Bakersfield. The San Joaquins runs along this route.

## Stations

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Stations from north to south included the following stops:[8]

* Richmond
* Luzon. Named during the Spanish-American War, when place names from the Philippines were very popular. Now located near Hercules.[9]
* Stockton (San Joaquin Street station)
* Burnham
* Escalon
* Riverbank
* Empire
* Hughson
* Elmwood
* Merced station
* Geneva
* Le Grand
* Marguerite
* Sharon
* Miller
* Lankershim
* Patterson
* Greenleaf
* Fresno
* Oleander
* Conejo
* Hanford station
* Corcoran station
* Angiola
* Kernell
* Elmo
* Wasco station
* Shafter
* Rosedale
* Bakersfield station

## References

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1. ^ Walker's Manual of Far Western Corporations & Securities, Volume 5, Part 1913, p. 183
2. ^ a b c Hooper, Ken (26 December 2014). History: Bakersfield freed from railroad tyranny, The Bakersfield Californian
3. ^ (6 October 1896). Fresno Freed From Monopoly's Shackles, San Francisco Call
4. ^ (28 May 1898). Bakerfield Freed From Tyranny, San Francisco Call
5. ^ (10 December 1898). Valley Road Deal, Los Angeles Herald
6. ^ (20 October 1898). Confirmed Again, Los Angeles Herald
7. ^ Daggett, Stuart. Chapters on the history of the Southern Pacific, pp. 317-45 (1966)
8. ^ Timetable, Railroad Gazetteer (April 1899), p. 27
9. ^ Gudde, Erwin G. California Place Names, p. 186 (1922)