The Northern Pacific Railway (reporting mark NP) was a railway that operated in the north-central region of the United States. The railroad served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. The company was headquartered first in Brainerd, Minnesota, then in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Northern Pacific was chartered on July 2, 1864 as the first northern transcontinental railroad in the United States. Groundbreaking did not take place until February 15, 1870, at Thompson Junction, Minnesota, 25 miles (40 km) west of Duluth. The backing and promotions of famed Civil War financier Jay Cooke in the summer of 1870 brought the first real momentum to the company. The Northern Pacific survived bankruptcy and the Panic of 1873 due to austerity measures put in place by company president Cass. The transcontinental line was completed with a golden spike ceremony September 8, 1883, at Gold Creek, Montana. Almost a century later consolidation in American railroading brought the Northern Pacific together with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, Great Northern Railway and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway on March 2, 1970, to form the Burlington Northern Railroad.
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