![]() The locomotives were moved forward until their cowcatchers met, and photographs were taken. ![]() In the United States, the event has come to be considered one of the first nationwide media events. Stanford and Hewes missed the spike, but the single word "done" was nevertheless flashed by telegraph around the country. To drive the final spike, Stanford lifted a silver spike maul and drove the spike into the tie, completing the line. Strobridge, at a dinner in his private car. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the participating Chinese workers were honored and cheered by the CPRR officials and that road's construction chief, J.H. Eight Chinese workers laid the last rail, and three of these men, Ging Cui, Wong Fook, and Lee Shao, lived long enough to also participate in the 50th anniversary parade. 539 shows the "Chinese at Laying Last Rail UPRR". On the Union Pacific side, thrusting westward, the last two rails were laid by Irishmen on the Central Pacific side, thrusting eastward, the last two rails were laid by the Chinese! A.J. With the locomotives drawn so near, the crowd pressed so closely around Stanford and the other railroad officials that the ceremony became somewhat disorganized, leading to varying accounts of the actual events. This second spike is now on permanent display, along with Thomas Hill's famous painting The Last Spike, at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. It was held, unknown to the public, by the Hewes family until 2005. It has been noted that the first Golden Spike engraving appeared "rushed", and the Hewes family spike lettering appeared more polished. A second golden spike, exactly like the one from the ceremony (except for the date), was cast at the same time, and probably engraved at a later time with the correct Promontory date of May 10, 1869. The spike was removed immediately after being hammered in to prevent it from being stolen. Hewes Family Golden Spike at the California State Railroad Museum May God continue the unity of our Country, as this Railroad unites the two great Oceans of the world.The Pacific Railroad ground broken January 8, 1863, and completed May 8, 1869.The spike was engraved on all four sides: It was dropped into a pre-drilled hole in the laurel ceremonial last tie, and gently tapped into place with a silver ceremonial spike maul. The golden spike was made of 17.6- karat (73%) copper-alloyed gold, and weighed 14.03 troy ounces (436 g). The Museum of the City of New York sold the spike in January 2023, via auction, to benefit other items in its collection. It was, for a time, on display at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The spike was donated to the Museum of the City of New York in 1943, by a descendant of Sidney Dillon. This spike was given to Union Pacific President Oliver Ames following the ceremony. a blended iron, silver and gold spike, supplied by the Arizona Territory, engraved: Ribbed with iron clad in silver and crowned with gold Arizona presents her offering to the enterprise that has banded a continent and dictated a pathway to commerce.a silver spike, supplied by the State of Nevada forged, rather than cast, of 25 troy ounces (780 g) of unpolished silver.a second, lower-quality gold spike, supplied by the San Francisco News Letter, was made of $200 worth of gold and inscribed: With this spike the San Francisco News Letter offers its homage to the great work which has joined the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.īefore the last spike was driven, three other commemorative spikes, presented on behalf of the other three members of the Central Pacific's Big Four who did not attend the ceremony, had been driven in the pre-bored laurel tie: It is unknown how many people attended the event estimates run from as low as 500 to as many as 3,000 government and railroad officials and track workers were present to witness the event. 60 (better known as the Jupiter) locomotives were drawn up face-to-face on Promontory Summit. On May 10, in anticipation of the ceremony, Union Pacific No. The Last Spike, 1881 painting by Thomas Hill
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