150th Anniversary of the Driving of the Golden Spike

Trains at Promontory

150 years ago today, here in what is now the State of Utah, USA, they completed the transcontinental railroad and celebrated by driving in a golden spike!   This is a very desolate desert-y place.  It was a huge accomplishment.  I heard a historian on TV  today say that it would be like the USA getting to the Moon, (that happened in my childhood).  I guess it will be like Man getting to Mars in my children's generation.  

The railroad was a connection of Oakland California to the railroads in the East. . . starting at Omaha, Nebraska.   There were three railroad companies that participated in the construction.  First the Western Pacific built 132 miles or 212 km of track from Oakland, California (or Alameda) to Sacramento, California.  Next the Central Pacific built 690 miles or 1,110 km of track from Sacramento to Promontory Summit in Utah.  The Union Pacific built 1,085 miles or 1,746 km of track from near Omaha, Nebraska. . . (it was actually Council Bluff, Nebraska), to Promontory Summit.  They had an easier time of it because they did not have to build through as many mountains.  

There is a forgotten set of facts about this railroad.  First is how it affected the Native Americans.  Although it did many great things, the railroad led to an easy way for European Americans or White Americans to come out and hunt buffalo or American Bison.  This devastated the Native American tribes.  

Another forgotten fact is that the Central Pacific was built mostly by Chinese immigrants and most of the Union Pacific was built by Irish Immigrants.  Former slaves also helped in the construction.  All three of these groups were often treated terribly in America.  In fact, the Irish were treated terribly in Great Britain for years.   The Chinese are not even seen in the famous photo of the trains coming together.

When the contruction got close to Utah the Mormons helped.  Mormons are those of us who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  The prophet and president of the church did not come to the celebrations because the railroads had been negligent in paying their workers.  Brigham Young was also upset that the railroad did not come thruough Salt Lake City.  

Another interesting fact is that the railroads ended up paying by giving supplies to construct a railroad spur down to Salt Lake City.  Eventually a railroad was constructed through Salt Lake City clear up North and clear down to Los Angeles California.  I rode on the last Union Pacific passenger train that went through my small town in Southern Utah.  That was in the mid or late 1960's.  

I learned that the Trans-Siberian Railroad is much longer and it was completed in 1904.  It is goes from Moscow to Nadhodka, a port city on the Pacific Oean.  It is intersting that for them the Pacific Ocean is to the East instead of to the West.  

NOTE:  This drawing, in printable form, is found under the buttons up top labeled either "All Printables" or "Vehicles".  Also, I just drew the train engines and one coal tender car and a small part of another coal tender car.  I did not draw the people at the celebration.