As the 155th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad approaches, the newest, largest and brightest tribute to that pivotal moment in American history has been making the rounds to the delight of audiences in Utah, Nevada and California.
On Tuesday, hundreds of locals converged at the Box Elder County Fairgrounds to get their first glimpse of a 43-foot-tall, 8,000-pound replica of the famous “Golden Spike,” the ceremonial railroad spike that marked the convergence of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines at Promontory Summit.
The $1.7 million aluminum alloy sculpture, created by Kentucky-based artist Douwe Blumberg, took 2.5 years and about two dozen people to build and features various aspects of railroad history on all four gold leaf-plated sides.
One side features the Irish immigrants, freed slaves, Civil War veterans, Mormon graders and others who built the Union Pacific side of the railroad. Opposite that side are depictions of the Chinese immigrants who toiled on the Central Pacific line coming from California.
“This is a story that really resonates with people because it is about a variety of people from all over who come together to work hard, innovate and create something magnificent,” said Robyn Kremer, president of the Golden Spike Foundation, which raised the funding for the monument and the park that will eventually be its permanent home.
Another side is dedicated to the impact the railroad had on Native Americans as westward expansion imposed on and eventually subjugated their cultures and ways of life.
“The transcontinental railroad was one of the greatest things that ever happened in America, but not for everyone,” Kremer said. “And we do not shy away from that story, that impact on Native American life.”
The fourth side pays tribute to the advancement of technology, from the telegraph wires that transmitted news of the railroad’s completion to Washington D.C. on May 10, 1869, to the modern-day rockets that propel astronauts into space (built five miles from the spot in Box Elder County where the rails were united, Kremer noted) and the instantaneous communication methods that people use today.
“In 155 years we’ve gone from taking six months to get from New York to Promontory to what, six hours with drive time,” she said. “What we like to talk about with this side is ‘what is the next big thing?’”
The monument, which will eventually stand tall as the centerpiece of the new Golden Spike State Monument visible from I-15 west of Brigham City, made its Utah debut at the state capitol building last fall after several stops along the journey from Kentucky. The original plan was to have the sculpture installed later this year, but regulatory hurdles have delayed that timeline, likely until sometime in the fall of 2025.
Following a stop at Utah State University earlier Tuesday and previous stops in Wells, Nevada and Sacramento, California, the monument made its way down Main Street in Tremonton, tethered to a long flatbed trailer, before arriving at the fairgrounds to a crowd of more than 200 enthusiastic onlookers. The Reflections of Bear River Valley choir performed a medley of patriotic musical numbers, and the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post offered a solemn flag ceremony.
Following an introduction from Tremonton Mayor Lyle Holmgren, Golden Spike Foundation Chairman Doug Foxley explained how the monument came to fruition.
“We kind of had this crazy idea that after we did the celebration in 2019 (the 150th anniversary of the completion of the railroad), we ought to do something to keep the story alive,” Foxley said. “And we got some bids to do this statue here and we were gonna do it 20 feet tall for $300,000.”
As donations started to pour in, the scale of the project grew into the 43.3-foot monument (43.3 being the square root of 1869, not coincidentally) that exists today.
“When we thought we needed some money, one of the first calls I made was to some guy named (former Tremonton mayor) Roger Fridal,” Foxley said. “All of a sudden, a little later on we got a $5,000 check from Tremonton City, which was really the first contribution we received. So thank you Tremonton, you were here at the beginning.”
Backed by the support of local, state and national elected officials and a host of private donors, Foxley said the Golden Spike Foundation has raised approximately $8 million to pay for the monument, the park in which it will stand, and the knowledge and expertise to keep it running as a tourist destination and historical landmark.
“We couldn’t have done what we’ve done without a whole bunch of amazing people,” he said.
After visiting Tremonton, the monument was scheduled for stops at schools around Box Elder County and Ogden’s Union Station later in the week. It will be the featured attraction at Millcreek Common in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 10 before being taken to Golden Spike National Historical Park, where it will be on display during the park’s annual anniversary celebration to be held Friday and Saturday, May 10-11.
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