The Golden Spike National Historical Site is where the two trains met that made for the first transcontinental railroad in the United States back in 1869. "May 10, 1869 the Union and Central Pacific Railroads joined their rails at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory and forged the destiny of a nation. Golden Spike National Historic Site shares the stories of the people and settings that define the completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad."
A bit of history: Both east and west trains had a difficult time. The train that started east from Sacramento, California had to go through the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the winter. Get this: Among the extreme conditions that the workers had to survive were the unbearable snow storms. During the winter of 1866-1867, there were 44 blizzards while the building of the Summit Tunnel proceeded. The storms were anywhere from a short squall to a two week blizzard, with between one-quarter of an inch and ten feet of accumulation of snow. The heaviest storm started on February 18 at 2 p.m. and lasted until February 22 at 10 p.m. and dropped six feet of snow. The storm started again five days later and lasted until March 2, with ten feet of total accumulation. These storms often blocked tunnel entrances and slowed work considerably. It took one half of the crew (4,500 men) to keep the track shoveled. Avalanches buried alive laborers, both American and Chinese. Throughout the snowy conditions, the workers averaged only eight inches of track per day, blasting through solid rock.
Eight inches a day!
Now, the train that started west from Omaha had blizzards, Indian raids that killed the surveyors and graders, floods, extreme heat....amazing that either train made the final journey!
To get to the GS site, you head north about 18 miles then turn west and go about 50 miles or so. At first, the land is green and agricultural but soon evolves into scrub cattle land. Eventually you get to the "middle of nowhere". And that's where you'll find the Visitor's Center which had a great railroad exhibit illustrating the techniques necessary to build the railroads. Great history located here.
To get to the GS site, you head north about 18 miles then turn west and go about 50 miles or so. At first, the land is green and agricultural but soon evolves into scrub cattle land. Eventually you get to the "middle of nowhere". And that's where you'll find the Visitor's Center which had a great railroad exhibit illustrating the techniques necessary to build the railroads. Great history located here.
You can see more photos and information here....
And....for more reading....
http://www.nps.gov/gosp/index.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Transcontinental_Railroad
http://www.nps.gov/gosp/index.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Transcontinental_Railroad
