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"The Chinamen were as steady, hardworking a set of men as could be found ."

John Gillis, 1870
Chief Engineer CPRR
Donner Summit is the most important historical square mile in California and maybe the entire Western U.S. Native Americans crossed the summit for thousands of years and summered in Summit Valley. They left behind petroglyphs, grinding rocks, metates, cupules, and basalt flakes from knapping projectile points.

The first wagon trains to get to California with wagons came across Donner Summit.

The first transcontinental railroad, the first transcontinental highway, the first transcontinental telephone line, and the first transcontinental air route all followed.

Our 2011 poster celebrates all of that.

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