East Meets West: The Golden Spike
The railroads finished bridging America
at a remote spot in Utah.
 |
| The completion of the nation's first Transcontinental Railroad was a cause for celebration. |
On May 10, 1869, the rails of the Central Pacific Railroad met those of the Union Pacific at Promontory Summit, Utah. A hastily arranged ceremony marked the occasion. Dignitaries dropped a golden spike into a pre-drilled hole, then retrieved it and tried to pound in an iron one. After several swings and misses, a worker stepped forward and finished the job. The first railroad route across the United States was finished—a historical watershed that greatly eased the nation's expansion.
It had been an enormous task. For four years workers from the Central and Union Pacific companies raced to lay the most track. The mostly Irish workers of the Union Pacific laid track westward from Omaha. The Central Pacific used primarily Chinese workers to blast eastward through the rugged Sierra Nevada mountains. The men lived in camp trains—rolling towns that advanced with the track. Hundreds lost their lives to avalanches, accidents, and illness while building the 1,776 miles of rail.
|
| Dignitaries dropped a golden spike into a pre-drilled hole, then retrieved it and tried to pound in an iron one. | |
|
The place where the lines met is preserved as the Golden Spike National Historic Site, 32 miles northwest of Brigham City on State Route 83. The railroad doesn't pass through here anymore, and the original rails were torn up for scrap during World War II, but the films and exhibits in the visitor's center provide a fascinating look back. Visitors can also see working replicas of the 1869 steam locomotives Jupiter and 119 that operate from May through mid-October. Reenactments of the historic union take place Saturdays at 1:00 and 3:00. The festivities expand on the actual anniversary, during the annual Railroader's Festival held the second Saturday in August, and in December for the Winter Steam Demonstration and Film Festival.
For information, call the site at (435) 471-2209. They can help you with lodging and dining. The visitor's center is open daily, 8:00-6:00 Memorial Day-Labor Day, 8:00-4:30 the rest of the year, closed on major holidays. There is an admission charge. The website is www.nps.gov/gosp.
|
 |  |
|
|
|
