Old West Union ~ Promontory Point

[Shotgun Steve]

Promontory Point Utah is the home of the Golden Spike. The Golden Spike represents the spot where the first transcontinental railway connection was completed. It was here that the Union Pacific and The Central Pacific railroads met to complete the task of joining the east coast with the west coast of America.

The event of driving the Golden Spike on May 10, 1869 may be the first mass media event ever as the press was constantly updated of the efforts progress so that they could be on hand when the spike was driven to complete the union. Additionally, the spike that was driven was wired to the telegraph lines so that each strike was transmitted to all parts of the country as a 'click'.

[kflach]

That's cool, I'd never heard about the telegraph/click aspect.

[Galloway]

Great picture, I heard they actually finished the railroad a few miles down the road but chose PP to celebrate the great event fwi.

[Ol Gabe]

Thanks for posting the pic as it holds a special spot in my family's heart since my Great-Grandfather is in it.
Gabriel Strand emigrated from Norway in 1867 to LeGrand Station, Iowa, then hired on with the Chicago & Northwestern Rail Road working his way West on the new line. The oldsters in our family would always joke about him and when asked which one he was in the famous picture, they would say "Well, he's the one in the black coat and white shirt!" Almost all of them wore a black coat and white shirt that day for the historical picture so the joke was a sustaining one. He returned to Iowa buying woodlots for rail ties and right-of-way land for the rail company, later farming and raising a large family.
I use him as my Alias for NCOWS, 'Ol Gabe, and enjoy searching for more vignettes about him but as with many families they are few as the oldsters are long gone and the young ones are generally not interested in what happened 'way back when'.
Best regards and good researching!
'Ol Gabe