Golden Spike National Historic Site

May 10, 1869 is one of the most significant dates in American history, yet most of us don't know why. It was the day the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads joined their rails at Promontory Summit in Utah, and completed the nation's first transcontinental railroad! Not only was this achievement an engineering marvel, but the railroad was responsible for opening up the West to advancement-- to settlement, agriculture, industry, trade, and travel. Golden Spike National Historic Site commemorates the day East met West thanks to 1,776 miles of train track, and it is here you'll learn about the race between two railroad companies and experience the recreated arrival of two colorful and ornate steam locomotives'"the Jupiter and the 119.

The railroad race actually began in 1863 with loan and land subsidies granted by Congress. However, neither Leland Stanford's Central Pacific Railroad (heading east from Sacramento) nor Thomas Durant's Union Pacific Railroad (heading west from Omaha) made much progress until the end of the Civil War. By then, labor and supplies were more plentiful, so the railroad tycoons wasted no time-- both were bound and determined to lay more train track, and thus earn more money and get more land, than the other.

The movie and exhibits both inside and outside of the Golden Spike Visitor Center do a great job explaining the events that led up to May 10, 1869. You may really start to feel sorry for the Central Pacific (CP) who had a much tougher job than the Union Pacific (UP). Not only did the CP company have to blast 15 tunnels through the granite Sierra Nevada mountains, it first had to ship everything 15,000 miles around Cape Horn. The UP had easier terrain across the plains, but faced Indian raids. Both companies used mostly immigrant labor-- the CP's labor force being Chinese; the UP hired Irish, German and Italian immigrants, along with Civil War veterans and ex-slaves. Men on both teams worked harder and faster than anyone could have imagined. The most experienced tracklayers could lay two pairs of 30-foot, 560-pound rails a minute, and spikers drove 10 spikes per rail, three blows per spike! Before track could be laid, though, surveyors and graders had to first do their jobs, followed by thousands of workers who blasted tunnels and built high wooden trestles in preparation for the track.

When the two railway lines finally met up at Promontory Summit on May 10, 1869, a huge celebration ensued. The Last Spike ceremony took place with a symbolic tap of a 17-carat gold spike, followed by the pounding of the real final iron spike that connected more than railroads-- it forever connected East to West! All aboard!

MORE INFORMATION:

Golden Spike National Historic Site at Promontory Summit is 32 miles west of Brigham City, Utah * Phone (435) 471-2209 x 29 * Open daily 9:00 am - 5:00 pm * Entrance fee for private vehicles is $ $7.00 in summer and $5.00 in winter (good for 7 days)