Spike 150 started as a dream of what could be–a celebration of the sesquicentennial anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad to unite, educate, and inspire people far and near. And we did just that! The May 10, 2019, celebration brought people from all over the world to commemorate this historic feat of engineering and set the record straight by educating the world about the dedication and hard work of tens of thousands of railroad workers.
The Golden Spike Foundation continues to inspire people to learn from the past and honor the memory of the railroad workers through a series of legacy public art. The latest art piece, Golden Spike Monument, is an inspiring 43′ tall golden monument that invites spectators to reflect on the achievement of building the transcontinental railroad and to learn the untold stories of the diverse railroad workers who made it possible. Prior to installation in Box Elder County, Utah in 2024, the Monument will visit communities across the country in our Driving of the Spike road tour.
In 2019, we celebrated the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad. Although the celebration has passed, opportunities to experience the Spike 150 events that sought to unify, educate, and inspire live on.
From the Golden Spike National Historical Park visitor center, Ilan Averbuch’s work is dedicated to the unsung laborers of the transcontinental railroad.
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In 2019, Utah Poet Laureate Paisley Rekdal was commissioned to write a poem commemorating the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad’s completion. The result is “West: A Translation:” a linked collection of poems that responds, character by character, through the lens of the Chinese experience and other transcontinental railroad workers’ histories, and through the railroad’s cultural impact on America.
Check Out the Poem
Take an audio tour of the Spencer Fox Eccles Treasure of the Transcontinental Railroad Exhibition and explore from start to finish the 1862 Pacific Railway Act to the 1869 last spikes at Promontory Summit.
Explore the Online Exhibit
