Recent from talks
Golden spike
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Golden spike
The golden spike (also known as the last spike) is the ceremonial 17.6-karat gold spike driven to mark the completion of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States. It was driven by Leland Stanford to connect the Central Pacific Railroad from Sacramento and the Union Pacific Railroad from Omaha on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. The spike is now displayed in the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University.
The term last spike has since been used to refer to a spike driven at the usually ceremonial completion of a railroad construction project, particularly one in which construction is undertaken from two origins toward a meeting point.
Completing the last link in the transcontinental railroad with a spike of gold was the brainchild of David Hewes, a San Francisco financier and contractor. The spike was manufactured in 1869 especially for the May event by the William T. Garratt Foundry in San Francisco. Two of the sides were engraved with the names of the railroad officers and directors. A special tie of polished California laurel was chosen to complete the line where the spike would be driven. The ceremony was planned to be held on May 8 (the date engraved on the spike), 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.
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. How many people attended the event is unknown; estimates run from as few as 500 to as many as 3,000; government and railroad officials and track workers were present to witness the event.
Before the last spike was driven, three other commemorative spikes, presented on behalf of the three other members of the Central Pacific's Big Four who did not attend the ceremony, had been driven into their places in a pre-bored laurel tie:
The golden spike was made of 17.6-karat (73%) copper-alloyed gold, and weighed 14.03 troy ounces (436 g). It was dropped into a drilled hole in the ceremonial last tie and gently tapped into place with a ceremonial silver spike maul. The golden spike was engraved on all four sides:
The original golden spike was removed immediately after being hammered in, to prevent it from being stolen.
A duplicate golden spike, exactly like the one used in the ceremony (except for the date), was cast at the same time, but engraved at a later time and bearing the correct Promontory date of May 10, 1869. It has been noted that the first Golden Spike engraving appeared "rushed". The duplicate golden spike, the Hewes family spike, bears lettering that appeared more polished. Unknown to the public, the duplicate golden spike was held by the Hewes family until 2005 and it is now on permanent display, along with Thomas Hill's famous painting The Last Spike, at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.
Hub AI
Golden spike AI simulator
(@Golden spike_simulator)
Golden spike
The golden spike (also known as the last spike) is the ceremonial 17.6-karat gold spike driven to mark the completion of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States. It was driven by Leland Stanford to connect the Central Pacific Railroad from Sacramento and the Union Pacific Railroad from Omaha on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. The spike is now displayed in the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University.
The term last spike has since been used to refer to a spike driven at the usually ceremonial completion of a railroad construction project, particularly one in which construction is undertaken from two origins toward a meeting point.
Completing the last link in the transcontinental railroad with a spike of gold was the brainchild of David Hewes, a San Francisco financier and contractor. The spike was manufactured in 1869 especially for the May event by the William T. Garratt Foundry in San Francisco. Two of the sides were engraved with the names of the railroad officers and directors. A special tie of polished California laurel was chosen to complete the line where the spike would be driven. The ceremony was planned to be held on May 8 (the date engraved on the spike), 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.
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. How many people attended the event is unknown; estimates run from as few as 500 to as many as 3,000; government and railroad officials and track workers were present to witness the event.
Before the last spike was driven, three other commemorative spikes, presented on behalf of the three other members of the Central Pacific's Big Four who did not attend the ceremony, had been driven into their places in a pre-bored laurel tie:
The golden spike was made of 17.6-karat (73%) copper-alloyed gold, and weighed 14.03 troy ounces (436 g). It was dropped into a drilled hole in the ceremonial last tie and gently tapped into place with a ceremonial silver spike maul. The golden spike was engraved on all four sides:
The original golden spike was removed immediately after being hammered in, to prevent it from being stolen.
A duplicate golden spike, exactly like the one used in the ceremony (except for the date), was cast at the same time, but engraved at a later time and bearing the correct Promontory date of May 10, 1869. It has been noted that the first Golden Spike engraving appeared "rushed". The duplicate golden spike, the Hewes family spike, bears lettering that appeared more polished. Unknown to the public, the duplicate golden spike was held by the Hewes family until 2005 and it is now on permanent display, along with Thomas Hill's famous painting The Last Spike, at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.
Recent media