#Golden railroad spike portable

Like setting foot on the moon, it proved that we can do anything.Įven when we don’t really need to. Some have said the connection was equivalent to the moon landing. And in terms of symbolism, telecommunications, photography and America’s sense of self, the Golden Spike was monumental. The goal is to leave a more accurate and inspiring picture of the hows and whys of the Transcontinental Railroad-one that celebrates people and cultures, not just iron and steel.”įinishing the First Transcontinental Railroad was a big deal-the second biggest deal in Utah’s history, just behind the arrival of the Saints. “We don’t want to just party like it’s 1869,” deadpans Doug Foxley, chair of Spike 150 which is organizing the event. Max Chang, Doug Foxley and Cindy Gubler helped plan and spread the word about Spike 150.Īnd that’s the goal of this year’s celebration. It’s the historians’ job to separate myth and reality. Because 150 years can distort reality like a game of telephone (or telegraph). The whole state will celebrate (see sidebar) an event that happened 150 years ago-about which most of us either know nothing, are misinformed or accept legend instead of facts.

On May 10, 2019, Utah will celebrate the sesquicentennial of the driving of the Golden Spike which completed the last link in the First Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit. The fancy spikes, the laurel-wood tie and the silver maul were all just for show, manufactured to create a legend.

#Golden railroad spike portable

The awkward end to years of planning and building seems a fitting finish to a project that had a high-minded but commercial purpose, had seen so many deals gone wrong and promises broken and spawned a moving town to accompany the work, served by cooks and prostitutes, gambling halls and apocalyptic, portable churches. Joining of the Rails at Promontory, Utah, May, 1869

Finally, telegraphs sent out the message to the world: D-O-N-E. A railroad worker, probably Chinese, actually hammered home the iron spike with an iron maul, both wired to the telegraph line so the whole country could “hear” the blows as the spike was driven. Strobridge and defacto camp nurse, also took a swing. Others, including Harriet Strobridge, wife of UP construction James H. Durant, who had cancelled his scheduled speech because of a headache-likely caused by too much pre-ceremony partying-missed the spike and the tie. Stanford took a swing…and missed the spike entirely, hitting only the tie. Central Pacific president Leland Stanford and United Pacific vice-president Thomas Durant tapped the Gold Spike, then stepped up to the real iron spike. The specially crafted laurel-wood tie, the silver maul and the famous Golden Spike were in place. All the dignitaries were gathered as well as a crowd of, oh, anywhere from 500 to 3,000, depending on who was reporting. 119 facing west and Central Pacific’s Jupiter facing east-were in place where miles of track met at Promontory Summit in the middle of Utah’s West desert.