![]() The idea of using a golden spike to commemorate the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad was the brainchild of David Hewes, a San Francisco financier and contractor. Incidentally, the first moon landing would take place 100 years later on July 20,1969. The accomplishment also symbolized American ingenuity and technical achievement, which was, at the time, as spectacular as landing a man on the moon. A coast-to-coast trip that once took six months, could now be accomplished in 3 1/2 days. The Transcontinental Railroad united a nation recovering from the Civil War and laid the foundation for its growth, economic progress and improved way of life. “It psychologically and symbolically bound the country,” Brad Westwood, Utah’s senior public historian, told the Associated Press. ![]() The point of junction is 1,086 miles west of the Missouri River and 690 miles east of Sacramento City.” When the two railroad lines met at Promontory Summit, Utah, on May 10, 1869, the engineering marvel was culminated with railroad magnate Leland Stanford driving the ceremonial final spike - a glistening symbol made from 14 ounces of 17.6-karat gold.Īs Stanford gently tapped the copper-alloyed spike through a pre-drilled hole in a special tie of polished California laurel, a famous telegraph announced the news in real-time: “The last rail is laid. Golden Spike Symbolized Completion of Transcontinental Railroad 150 Years Ago May 13, 2019This past Friday marked the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, an epic project that spanned six years and 1,800 miles, with the Central Pacific Railroad working from west to east and the Union Pacific Railroad from east to west.
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