Charles H. Sharman

Russell photograph of the "Engineers of U.P.R.R. at the Laying of Last Rail Promentory" Sharman is fourth from the left. Charles H. Sharman (1841–1938) was a civil engineer who was part of the effort to build the Union Pacific railroad to Promontory Point, Utah, in 1869. Sharman was present at the Golden spike ceremony on May 10, 1869, connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. Sharman was also in the Russell photograph of the same date.

After the Union Pacific was built to Promontory, Sharman worked with a number of midwest railroads and in 1920, retired to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Sharman's 1929 manuscript of his work on building the Union Pacific railroad provided the source material for Western fiction author Ernest Haycox to write a story called the "troubleshooter" in Collier's magazine in 1936.

He then met another senior civil engineer on the project, Hezekiah Bissell (Civil Engineer - UPRR, 1864–1869). Sharman along with Bissell was assigned to center-line staking for the railroad contractor, General "Jack" Casement of Casement Brothers. After this experience, Sharman worked with Gen. Marshall Farnum Hurd (1823–1903) one of the principal construction supervisors working Superintendent Reed. During the civil war, Hurd had commanded what was the equivalent of a combat engineers battalion. Hurd was in charge of locating the North Platte river crossing for the UPRR which at that time in 1867 was treacherous to cross at over a thousand feet in width. During this time, Sharman met another civil engineer and future Nebraska Chief justice, Arthur Northcut Ferguson.

Legacy and impact After the Union Pacific was built to Promontory, Sharman worked with a number of midwest railroads and in 1920, retired to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Sharman's journal of his working on the project provided the source material for Western fiction author Ernest Haycox to write a story called the "troubleshooter" in Collier's magazine in 1936. Thus, Sharman's manuscript written by a civil engineer became the basis for the movie, Union Pacific, released in 1939.