Promontory Point, UT Photos

Promontory Point National Historic Site is the location where the Last Spike was driven to join the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railways into the first U.S. Transcontinental Railroad. Sitting just on the northern tip of Utah's Great Salt Lake, this route was abandoned when a shorter viaduct was built across the Salt Lake. Today the National Park Service has reconstructed a short section of track so that two steam locomotives can reenact the meeting of the two railroads. In fact, since both railroads were being paid by the U.S. government by the mile, when the railroads actually met they just kept laying track beside each other well beyond this point until President U.S. Grant ordered them to decide upon a joining point, which became the point where the two construction crews passed each other.

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Track at Promontory Point Utah National Historic Site. UT.Last rail tie lies under track where Union Pacific & Central Pacific joined to complete Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Point NHS. UT.Golden Spike plaque at Promontory Point NHS. UT.Southern Pacific Monument at Promontory Point NHS. UT.
Track at Promontory Point Utah National Historic Site. UT.Last rail tie lies under track where Union Pacific & Central Pacific joined to complete Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Point NHS. UT.Golden Spike plaque at Promontory Point NHS. UT.Southern Pacific Monument (1916) at Promontory Point NHS. UT.
Antique cart in front of National Park Service interpretation center at Promontory Point NHS. UT.Wagon beside track at Promontory Point NHS. UT.Track at Promontory Point NHS. UT.Landscape at Promontory Point NHS north of Great Salt Lake. UT.
Antique cart in front of National Park Service interpretation center at Promontory Point NHS. UT.Wagon beside track at Promontory Point NHS. UT.Track at Promontory Point NHS. UT.Landscape at Promontory Point NHS north of Great Salt Lake. UT.
View from near Promontory Point NHS over flats of Great Salt Lake which Transcontinental had to skirt. UT.Photo of driving of last spike at Promontory Point on May 10, 1869 by Andrew Russell in Utah State Railroad Museum. Ogden, UT.Photograph of meeting of last sections of transcontinental railway builders "The Last Spike" at Promontory, Utah on May 10, 1869 photograph by A.J. Russell at California State Railroad Museum. Sacramento, CA.Color lithograph of "The Completion of the Pacific Rail Road" after photo by A.J. Russell at California State Railroad Museum. Sacramento, CA.
View from near Promontory Point NHS over flats of Great Salt Lake which Transcontinental had to skirt. UT.Photo of driving of last spike at Promontory Point on May 10, 1869 by Andrew Russell in Utah State Railroad Museum. Ogden, UT.Photograph of meeting of last sections of transcontinental railway builders "The Last Spike" at Promontory, Utah on May 10, 1869 photograph by A.J. Russell at California State Railroad Museum. Sacramento, CA.Color lithograph of "The Completion of the Pacific Rail Road" after photo by A.J. Russell at California State Railroad Museum. Sacramento, CA.
Painting of "The Last Spike" by Thomas Hill which added railway executives who had not actually been at the completion ceremonies at California State Railroad Museum. Sacramento, CA.Detail Thomas Hill's "The Last Spike" showing Leland Stanford with hammer & golden spike at California State Railroad Museum. Sacramento, CA.Idealized "The Last Spike" lithograph at California State Railroad Museum. Sacramento, CA.When the Last Spike was cast in gold, a copy was made which now rests at California State Railroad Museum while the one used in the ceremony is in possession of Stanford University. Sacramento, CA.
Painting (1881) of "The Last Spike" by Thomas Hill which added railway executives who had not actually been at the completion ceremonies at California State Railroad Museum. Sacramento, CA.Detail Thomas Hill's "The Last Spike" showing Leland Stanford with hammer & golden spike at California State Railroad Museum. Sacramento, CA.Idealized "The Last Spike" lithograph at California State Railroad Museum. Sacramento, CA.When the Last Spike was cast in gold, a copy was made which now rests at California State Railroad Museum while the one used in the ceremony is in possession of Stanford University. Sacramento, CA.
Second gold copy of Last Spike engraved with the names of California Pacific Railroad directors & executives at California State Railroad Museum. Sacramento, CA.


Second gold copy of Last Spike engraved with the names of California Pacific Railroad directors & executives at California State Railroad Museum. Sacramento, CA.


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All photos on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Jim Steinhart.
All rights reserved. Permission required to use.

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