 Ex- Virginia and Truckee Railroad No. 119, a 4-4-0 steam locomotive, rides atop a Union Pacific Railroad flatcar as it stops in Ogden, Utah on May 9 1969 just prior to the 100th anniversary of the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad. A "golden spike" is the last, ceremonial spike driven specifically to mark the completion of a railroad line. The practice originated with the First Transcontinental Railroad, when Leland Stanford officially joined the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869 at Promontory Summit, Utah. Image File history File links OP-19492. ...
Image File history File links OP-19492. ...
The Virginia and Truckee Railroad (AAR reporting mark VT) was built to serve the silver mining communities of Nevada. ...
Ogden sign over Washington Boulevard at the Ogden River; toward downtown Overlooking Ogdens George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park Ogden is the county seat of Weber County,GR6 Utah, United States. ...
May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (130th in leap years). ...
Two unused and one heavily corroded spike. ...
This article refers to a railroad built in the United States between Omaha and Sacramento completed in 1869. ...
Amasa Leland Stanford (March 9, 1824–June 21, 1893) was an American business tycoon, politician and founder of Stanford University. ...
The Gov. ...
The Union Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting marks UP) (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad network in the United States. ...
May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (131st in leap years). ...
1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...
Promontory is a location in Box Elder County, Utah, centered approximately at 41°3707N, 112°3251W, with an elevation of 1494 meters (4902 feet) above sea level. ...
History Completing the last link in the First Transcontinental Railroad with a spike of gold was the brainchild of David Hewes, a San Francisco financier and contractor. The spike had been manufactured earlier that year especially for the event by the William T. Garratt Foundry in San Francisco. A special tie of polished California laurel was chosen to complete the line where the spike would be driven. The ceremony was originally to be held on May 8, but it was postponed two days because of bad weather and a labor dispute that delayed the arrival of the Union Pacific side of the rail line. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (862x587, 313 KB) Summary Gamma corrected, temporary file for FPC. Licensing This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (862x587, 313 KB) Summary Gamma corrected, temporary file for FPC. Licensing This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ...
GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ...
This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...
Ferroconcrete sleepers A variant fastening of rails to wooden sleepers A railroad tie, cross tie, or sleeper is a rectangular object used as a base for railroad tracks. ...
Binomial name Umbellularia californica Umbellularia californica is an evergreen tree of the Lauraceae family. ...
May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (129th in leap years). ...
On May 10, in anticipation of the ceremony, Union Pacific No. 119 and Central Pacific No. 60 (better known as the Jupiter) locomotives were drawn up face-to-face on Promontory Summit, separated only by the width of a single tie. It is unknown how many people attended the event, estimates run from as low as 500 to as many as 3,000 government and railroad officials and track workers were present to witness the event.
The golden spike was made of 18-karat gold, and was dropped into a predrilled hole in the laurel ceremonial last tie, and gently tapped into place with a silver ceremonial spike maul. Before the last spike was driven, three other commemorative spikes, presented on behalf of the other three members of the "Big Four" who did not attend the ceremony, had been driven in the pre-bored laurel tie: Carat is a measure of the purity of gold and platinum alloys. ...
Alternate meaning: The Big Four (novel) The Big Four were the chief entrepreneurs in the building of the Central Pacific Railroad, the western portion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States. ...
- a second, lower quality gold spike, supplied by the San Francisco News Letter;
- a silver spike, supplied by the State of Nevada;
- a blended iron, silver and gold spike, supplied by the Arizona Territory.
The absence of a spike from the Utah Territory, as well as the absence of Mormon officials, was conspicuous.[citation needed] This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...
The Utah Territory was an organized territory of the United States that existed between 1850 and 1896. ...
The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the most-recognized architectural symbol of Mormonism This article is about the terms history and usage. ...
The Jupiter leads the train that carried Leland Stanford, one of the "Big Four" owners of the Central Pacific Railroad, and other railway officials to the Golden Spike Ceremony. With the locomotives drawn so near, the crowd pressed so closely around Stanford and the other railroad officials that the ceremony became somewhat disorganized, leading to varying accounts of the actual events. Contrary to the myth that the Central Pacific's Chinese laborers were specifically excluded from the festivities, A.J. Russell stereoview #539 shows the "Chinese at Laying Last Rail UPRR." (Eight Chinese laid the last rail, and three of these men, Ging Cui, Wong Fook, and Lee Shao, lived long enough to also participate in the 50th anniversary parade. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Chinese participating were honored and cheered by the CPRR officials.) To drive the final spike, Stanford lifted a silver spike maul and drove the spike into the tie, completing the line. Download high resolution version (871x628, 48 KB)The train pictured is the Jupiter which carried Leland Stanford, one of the big four owners of the Central Pacific, and other railway officials to the Golden Spike Ceremony. ...
Download high resolution version (871x628, 48 KB)The train pictured is the Jupiter which carried Leland Stanford, one of the big four owners of the Central Pacific, and other railway officials to the Golden Spike Ceremony. ...
Immediately afterward, the golden spike and the laurel tie were removed and replaced with a regular iron spike and normal tie. At exactly 12:47 p.m., the last iron spike was driven, finally completing the line. Stanford and Hewes missed the spike, but the single word "done" was nevertheless flashed by telegraph around the country. In the United States, the event has come to be considered one of the first nationwide media events.
After the ceremony, the Golden Spike was donated to the Stanford Museum (now Cantor Arts Center) in 1898. The last laurel tie was destroyed in the fires caused by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Stanford University Museum of Art (SUMA) is associated with Stanford University and was established 1891 (simultaneous with the University) by Leland and Jane Stanford. ...
The Burghers of Calais in the Main Quad Carved tree trunks, Stanford New Guinea sculpture garden. ...
Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...
Arnold Genthes famous photograph of San Francisco following the earthquake, looking toward the fire on Sacramento Street A statue of Louis Agassiz, a Swiss-American geologist, after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, on the campus of Stanford University. ...
Aftermath
The current site of the Golden Spike National Historic Site, with replicas of No. 119 and the Jupiter facing each other to reenact the driving of the Golden Spike.
 The winning Utah state quarter design. Although the Promontory event marked the completion of the transcontinental railroad line, it did not actually mark the completion of a seamless coast-to-coast rail network. Because no railroad bridge yet existed over the Missouri River between Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska, passengers were required to cross the river by boat until 1872. The coast-to-coast rail link was completed in the meantime in August 1870 in Strasburg, Colorado by the completion of the Denver extension of the Kansas Pacific Railroad. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1045 KB) Summary Photo taken by Hyrum K. Wright on August 18, 2005. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1045 KB) Summary Photo taken by Hyrum K. Wright on August 18, 2005. ...
Image File history File links Ut_quarter. ...
Image File history File links Ut_quarter. ...
The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the United States. ...
Satellite photo showing Council Bluffs and Omaha, Nebraska Council Bluffs is the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States on the east bank of the Missouri River. ...
Nickname: Gateway to the West Location in Nebraska Coordinates: Country United States State Nebraska County Douglas Founded 1854 Incorporated 1857 Government - Mayor Michael Fahey (D) Area - City 118. ...
Strasburg is a census-designated place located in Adams County, Colorado. ...
: The Mile-High City United States Colorado Denver (coextensive) 154. ...
The Kansas Pacific main line shown on an 1869 map. ...
In 1939 following the premiere of the Cecil B. De Mille motion picture "Union Pacific" in Omaha and Council Bluffs a 56 foot tall concrete spike painted gold was unveiled on 9th Avenue in Council Bluffs on the approximate location of milepost 0.0 of the transcontinental railroad. Cecil Blount DeMille (August 12, 1881 - January 21, 1959) was one of the most successful filmmakers during the first half of the 20th century. ...
Omaha is the name of some places in the United States: *Omaha, Nebraska (the most familiar one) Omaha, Georgia Omaha, Illinois Omaha, Texas It is also the name of a Native American tribe, after which the city in Nebraska is named; see Omaha (tribe). ...
Satellite photo showing Council Bluffs and Omaha, Nebraska Council Bluffs is a city located in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. ...
A transcontinental railroad is a railway that crosses a continent, typically from sea to sea. Terminals are at or connected to different oceans. ...
In 1942, the old rails over Promontory Summit were salvaged for the war effort; the event was marked by a ceremonial "undriving" of the last iron spike. The original event had been all but forgotten except by local residents, who erected a commemorative marker in 1943. The years after the War saw a revival of interest in the event; the first re-enactment was staged in 1948. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...
In 1957, Congress established the Golden Spike National Historic Site to preserve the area around Promontory Summit as closely as possible to its appearance in 1869. The site contains working replicas of the locomotives present at the original ceremony, which are drawn up face-to-face each Saturday during the summer for a re-enactment of the event. Golden Spike National Historic Site is a U.S. National Historic Site located at Promontory Summit, north of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. ...
On May 10, 2006, on the anniversary of the driving of the spike, Utah announced that its state quarter design would be a representation of the driving of the spike. The Golden Spike design was the conception of Mr. Scott Price's Syracuse (Utah) Junior High School special education students. The design was selected as the winner from among several others by Utah's governor, Jon Huntsman, Jr. following a period during which Utah residents voted & commented on their favorite of three finalists. May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (131st in leap years). ...
Obverse of redesigned quarter The 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of commemorative coins by the United States Mint. ...
CP # 60 Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 187 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A recreated CP # 60 steam locomotive at the Golden Spike monument in Utah. ...
| UP # 119 Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 598 pixel Image in higher resolution (1024 × 766 pixel, file size: 180 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A recreated UP # 119 steam locomotive at the Golden Spike monument in Utah. ...
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Facts about the Golden Spike - contains 17.6-karat (73%) gold, alloyed with copper;
- total weight: 14.03 troy ounces (436 g);
- has clearly visible nicks where Stanford drove it with the silver spike maul;
- is engraved on all four sides:
- "The Pacific Railroad ground broken Jan. 8th 1863, and completed May 8th 1869."
- "Directors of the C. P. R. R. of Cal. Hon. Leland Stanford. C. P. Huntington. E. B. Crocker. Mark Hopkins. A. P. Stanford. E. H. Miller Jr."
- "Officers. Hon. Leland Stanford. Presdt. C. P. Huntington Vice Presdt. E. B. Crocker. Atty. Mark Hopkins. Tresr. Chas Crocker Gen. Supdt. E. H. Miller Jr. Secty. S. S. Montague. Chief Engr."
- "May God continue the unity of our Country, as the Railroad unites the two great Oceans of the world. Presented by David Hewes San Francisco."
- is now located at Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University
The Burghers of Calais in the Main Quad Carved tree trunks, Stanford New Guinea sculpture garden. ...
See also Cornerstone has several possible meanings and uses: Look up cornerstone in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Canadian Pacific Railway. ...
External links - National Park Service: Cultural Landscape Report—Golden Spike National Historic Site
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