On this date in history, the 19th Century's greatest construction feat was about to be completed on a windswept plain in Utah Territory, as two locomotives, one from the Union Pacific and the other from the Central Pacific, stood facing pilot to pilot on a single track. Numerous dignitaries and workers from the government and both railroads were gathered together to witness the driving of one single gold spike. On this spike, along with the names of the railroad officials, was this saying: "May God continue the unity of this Country as this Railroad unites the two great Oceans of the world." Thus a project, dreamt about for years, mocked by the ignorant, promoted by Abraham Lincoln, delayed by a civil war, and beset by rugged mountains, Indian attacks and miles of empty prairie, came to a close by the driving of this spike into a pre-drilled hole in a laurel tie. Even though Leland Stanford missed the spike with his hammer initially, the single word "DONE!" was sent out over the telegraph, signaling the ceremonial completion of the project. There were several other ceremonial spikes driven into the rails before this golden spike, which was replaced, along with the lauren tie, by a regular wooden tie and iron spikes, officially signalling the end of construction on 12:47 PM that day. The Golden Spike resides at a library at Stanford University, while the special crosstie was, alas, lost in a fire after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Nowadays, the site is a National Historical Site, the railroads having long ago rebuilt south of this area (SP over the Great Salt Lake, Western Pacific to the south of it).
The Lucin Cutoff was a feat in itself. I have a video about the work which is ongoing to maintain it. Very interesting.
And somehow some histories inaccurately say that the first golden spike was there at Promontory "Point" at the south end of Promontory Peninsula Out in the middle of the Great Salt Lake. Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2
I know. My wife used to like watching the TV game show "Jeopardy". They have asked the Gold Spike location question a few times through the years. And we saw more than one instance where they accepted the question as Promontory Point.
Having read about it for years, the actual location is on my bucket list. Thanks for reminding us of the anniversary, Bob.
