Golden spike

Coordinates: 41°37′4.67″N 112°33′5.87″W / 41.6179639°N 112.5516306°W / 41.6179639; -112.5516306

The golden spike (also known as The Last Spike) is the ceremonial final spike driven by Leland Stanford to join the rails of the First Transcontinental Railroad across the United States connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. The term last spike has been used to refer to one driven at the usually ceremonial completion of any new railroad construction projects, particularly those in which construction is undertaken from two disparate origins towards a meeting point. The spike now lies in the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University.

History

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 had been manufactured earlier that year especially for the 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 originally to be held on May 8, 1869 (the date actually 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.

Golden spike (disambiguation)

Golden spike may refer to:

Culture

  • The Golden Spike album by Sky Larkin
  • a novel by Hal Ellson
  • Science

  • Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point, a term in geology
  • Golden Spike Company, an American space transport company
  • Sports

  • The Golden Spike award, an annual athletics award for Belgian athletes.
  • The Golden Spikes Award, an annual amateur baseball award in the United States.
  • Golden Spike Ostrava, an annual athletics event held in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
  • Transportation

  • Golden spike, the ceremonial final spike which joined the rails of the First Transcontinental Railroad
  • See Also

    See also: Gold Spike (disambiguation)

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    Denver Post 06 Mar 2025
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