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Golden Spike Reenactment photographs, 1964-1969

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Utah State University
Title
Golden Spike Reenactment photographs
Dates
1964-1969 (inclusive)
Quantity
.25 linear feet, (1 box)
Collection Number
UUS_P0757
Summary
This collection includes 82 photographs, mainly black and white, from the 100th anniversary of the 1869 Golden Spike Ceremony, as well as historical photo reproductions of early railroad executives, workers, and locations.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on access, except: not available through interlibrary loan.

Languages
English
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Content Description

Consists of photos from the 1960s including the 1969 Centennial Celebration at the Golden Spike historical site, later reenactments, descendants of the Chinese workers, commemorative coins and golden/silver spikes. Also includes historical photo reproductions of early railroad executives, and intercontinental railway workers and locations. Many of the photographs have chapter and page numbering, and were likely part of an unidentified publication. All photos are black and white, unless otherwise noted.

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Historical Note

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.

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. 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.

The golden spike was made of 17.6-karat copper-alloyed gold, and weighed 14.03 troy ounces. 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.

Source: retrieved from Wikipedia September 10, 2024.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Golden Spike Reenactment photographs must be obtained from the Photograph Curator and/or the Special Collections Section Head.

Preferred Citation

Initial Citation: Golden Spike Reenactment photographs USU_P0757. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.

Following Citations:USU_P0757, USUSCA.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

These photographs are arranged into two series. The first includes photographs from annual celebrations, most notably from the 100th anniversary celebration in 1969. The second series is comprised of prints of historical photographs, and were likely used as research or illustrations relating to the transcontinental railway creation and completion ceremony.

Acquisition Information

These materials were found in USU Archives in 2006; how or when they arrived at Special Collections is unknown.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

  • I. Annual Celebrations and Reenactment photographs, 1964-1969

  • II. Historical photographs

    • Description: 40: "Lincoln and Gen'l Dodge, Council Bluffs, Aug. 1859"
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 41: Oliver Ames

      Photo credit: Union Pacific Railroad Museum Collection

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 42: General Jack S. Casement, UP Foreman

      Photo credit: Union Pacific Railroad Museum Collection

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 43: Portrait of Oakes Ames
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 44: Lorin Farr

      Photo credit: Deseret News Photo

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 45: Sidney Dillon

      Photo credit: Union Pacific Railroad Museum Collection

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 46: Portrait of Dan Casement

      Photo credit: Union Pacific Railroad Museum Collection

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 47: Brigham Young
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 48: Brigham Young, Jr.
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 49: Joseph Angell Young
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 50: John W. Young
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 51: Grenville M. Dodge

      Photo credit: Union Pacific Railroad Museum Collection

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 52: John A. Dix, UPRR 2nd President

      Photo credit: Union Pacific Railroad Museum Collection

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 53: Ezra T. Benson
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 54: John Sharp
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 55: Huntington's house
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 56: Collis P. Huntingdon

      Caption reads: "Collis P. Huntingdon who handled Central Pacific's financial affairs in the East and guided many of the logistics vital to construction of the first transcontinental railroad. Southern Pacific Photo X 2202."

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 57: "B 99. Mrs. Mark Hopkins and Gov. Stanford Mansions, S.F., Cal."
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 58: Leland Stanford

      Photo credit: News and Publications Services, Stanford University

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 59: Hopkins mansion
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 60: Charles Crocker house, Nob Hill
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 61: Mark Hopkins

      Caption reads: "Mark Hopkins who ran the day-to-day affairs of the Central Pacific, western link of the first transcontinental railroad."

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 62: "Work train of the pioneer Central Pacific at Rail-Head in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California in 1865."

      Caption continues: "This photograph shows the grade being cut above Auburn. Please credit: Souther[n] Pacific Company. From: Association of American Railroads, Washington, D.C."

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 63: "167. Emigrant Gap, looking East, Yuba Mountains in distance."

      Caption reads: "A Central Pacific work train at Emigrant Gap, looking toward the East with the Yuba Mountains in the background. The horse and buggy mounted piggyback style on one of the flatcars may be those of Alfred A. Hart, pioneer Central Pacific photographer, who took this photo in 1868. Southern Pacific Photo X 3005."

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 64: Promontory, Utah

      Caption reads: "The flag marks the point where the Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines were joined on May 10, 1869. This photograph was taken two months later. Please credit: Union Pacific Railroad. From: Association of American Railroads, Washington, D.C."

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 65: "Union Pacific's No. 119, the engine at the Golden Spike Ceremony…"

      Caption continues: "…is shown on the 'Big Trestle' which spanned a 405-foot ravine immediately east of the Golden Spike site at Promontory. The trestle was used for only a short time, soon abandoned in favor of a dirt-fill. UP photo by A.J. Russell. Courtesy Utah Historical Society."

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 66: "Building CP in the Sierras. Making a cut and fill"

      Caption continues: "Note the small horse-drawn cars used to haul dirt"

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 67: "A westbound covered wagon caravan carrying emmigrants…"

      Caption continues: "…meets Governor Leland Stanford's special train at Monument Point, near Promontory, Utah, where the governor was to participate in the 'Last Spike' ceremonies on May 10, 1869. Please credit: Southern Pacific Railroad. From: Association of American Railroads, Transportation Building, Washington, D.C. Note 'Jupiter' engine"

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 68: "Construction train on Union Pacific in the early '60's"

      Credit: Union Pacific Railroad, From: Association of American Railroads, Transportation Building, Washington, D.C.

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 69: "No. 343 In the Sierra Nevada Mountains"

      Caption: "The tremendous difficulties encountered by the Central Pacific Railroad in constructing the western end of a road to connect with the Union Pacific from the east are shown in this sketch by Joseph Becker. In the Sierra Nevada mountains, the Chinese coolies employed by the Central Pacific fought winter snows that drifted as high as 50 to 100 feet above the roadbed. From: Association of American Railroads, Transportation Building, Washington, D.C."

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 70: "Am. River and Canyon from Cap Horn. River below Railroad 1,400 feet. 57 miles from Sac."

      Caption: "The locomotive C.P. Huntington, CP engine No. 3 and one of the two smallest locomotives owned by the railroad, on Cape Horn high above the American River Canyon in 1867. This locomotive was donated to the State of California and is now at the California Exposition grounds in Sacramento. Southern Pacific Photo X281."

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 71: "No. 925. The Great 'Z', head of Echo Canyon. Photo taken during completion of Union Pacific railroad in 1869."

      Credit: Union Pacific Railroad, From: Association of American Railroads, Transportation Building, Washington, D.C.

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 72: Building a snow shed

      Caption: "Unexpectedly heavy snows forced Central Pacific's pioneer builders to build snow sheds over the railroad in the High Sierra where 30-foot packs handicapped construction forces. This photo was taken in 1867. Eventually, about 40 miles of sheds covered an almost continuous stretch at high elevations. Today only about three miles remain due to powerful new snow plows and other improved machinery and methods for snow fighting. Southern Pacific Photo X 157"

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 73: "The Sacramento station of the Sacramento Valley Railroad, first railroad in California…"

      Caption continues: "…and a pioneer link in the Central Pacific, had been moved by early 1860 from Third and R Streets to larger quarters alongside the river docks at Front and K Streets. This provided a better connection not only with the heavy shipping that plied the river to and from San Francisco, but also with the Central Pacific, whose station is pictured in the background. Taken in 1869, this photo shows a CP freight train that has moved past the CP station to a point in front of the Sacramento Valley Rail Road. Southern Pacific Photo X 30."

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 74: "Snowplow of the Central Pacific near Cisco during construction of the railroad."

      Caption continues: "Known as a 'bucker' plow, it took as many as eight pioneer woodburning locomotives to ram a plow through the drifts in a heavy snowstorm. SP Photo X 399"

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 75: Train engineer and 3 men seated in the wood bin behind the steam engine

      Caption reads: "Photograph taken at Promontory Point, Utah, at the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. The Pacific and Central Pacific lines were joined on May 10, 1869. Please credit: Union Pacific Railroad. From: Association of American Railroads, Washington, D.C.

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 76: "Construction of track and telegraph line in 1868…"

      Caption continues: "… as Central Pacific forces were building the western link of the first transcontinental railroad, now a part of the Southern Pacific System. Rail layers, shown in the foreground, were followed by gangs of Chinese laborers who spaced and spiked the rail to the ties. A track laying record was set in April, 1869, when a picked gang of Irish rail layers, backed by a small army of truckmen, completed more than ten miles of track in one day. Please credit: Southern Pacific Compnay. From : Association of American Railroads, Transportation Building, Washington, D.C."

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 77: Photo of Thomas Hill's painting "The Last Spike"
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 78: "No. 924A. Identification Key to Persons in Picture No. 924 [The Last Spike]"
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 79: The assembled participants of the 1869 Golden Spike ceremony
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 80: "Secrettown Trestle, in Sierras, Height 90' R. Huckel"
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 81: "Trestle on east slope of Promontory apparently UP's '119' engine."
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1
    • Description: 82: "Devil's Gate Bridge, Weber Canyon, UP train"
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Geographical Names

  • Golden Spike National Historic Site (Utah)--Photographs.
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