Oakland Long Wharf for kids
The Super Long Train Pier. A true story near Oakland, CA, told for kids 6-8.
Read along
Choo choo! Look toward Oakland. A long time ago, a train pier stuck out into the bay, and it was super long. It was about eleven thousand feet.
That's more than thirty-five football fields in a row! Trains rolled right out over the water on it. In 1869, it became the end of the line for the first transcontinental railroad. That means a train trip from far across the country could finally stop right here by the bay.
Imagine a train driving out over the water, looking for a place to park! People then hopped on ferries to cross to San Francisco. Now, can you make your best train sound? Let's hear a big choo choo!
Quiz the back seat
Where did trains roll on this long pier?
Show the answer
Out over the water. Out over the water! Passengers then took ferry boats across the bay.
Fun facts
- The Oakland Long Wharf was about 11,000 feet long.
- From November 8, 1869, it was the west coast end of the first transcontinental railroad.
For grown-ups
Written with AI from public sources, then checked claim by claim against the sources below before it was published; stories that don't pass stay off the app and this site. Narration is pre-recorded, and nothing you do on this page is tied to your kids.
Sources
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Town and county names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).