Immediately following the Civil War, Oakland was chosen as the western terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad, an engineering accomplishment that continues to rank as one of the greatest technological achievements in human history. The coming of the railroad in 1869 brought rapid growth in population and led to the construction of a large terminal at the foot of Seventh Street in West Oakland, shown here in 1890. Oakland hailed itself as "The Athens of the West," pointing to its cosmopolitan nature, its Mediterranean climate and its deep commitment to the arts, culture and democracy.