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Every city on the west coast of North America needed railroad communication around the turn of the 20th century, during the great period of railway construction. During that period, San Diego was a tiny port city, and the city's founders, who were entrepreneurs, determined that the city needed a direct line of communication with its northern neighbor, Los Angeles. Thus, the decision was made to construct the San Diego–Arizona railroad.
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Soon after construction began, the engineers discovered that a number of intricate engineering puzzles needed to be solved in order to develop a rail link in El Centro. The terrain was extremely challenging: deep valleys, gorges, and multiple dangerous mountain ranges with impassable, massive stones.
Because there were so few chances that the work would be completed successfully, the site was dubbed the "Impossible Railroad." The moniker was extremely successful.
