[1] By June of 1871, work crews for the railroad had finally reached the town of Tehama.

By June 4th, the work to construct this first iteration of the bridge had commenced.

[2] Materials for construction of the railroad bridge and surrounding right of way began arriving in the following weeks, with up to 60 bridge builders being brought in, alongside a grading work crew.

This caused an enormous outrage in the communities north of Tehama on the Sacramento River, such as Red Bluff, which would have been cut off from riverboat traffic.

This proposal was approved by the state legislature, however Governor Newton Booth vetoed the bill.