Promontory, Utah
Encyclopedia
Promontory in Box Elder County, Utah
, United States
, is notable as the location of Promontory Summit where the United States
' Transcontinental Railroad was officially completed on May 10, 1869.
It is at an elevation
of 1494 meters (4902 ft) above sea level
. Promontory is 51 km (31.7 mi) west of Brigham City, Utah
and 107 km (66.5 mi) northwest of Salt Lake City, and north of the Great Salt Lake
.
In May 1869, the railheads of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific
railroads finally met at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory
. The ceremony to drive in the Last Spike
was originally to be held on May 8, but was postponed two days because of bad weather and a labor dispute on the Union Pacific side.
On May 10, in anticipation of the ceremony, Union Pacific's No. 119
and Central Pacific
's No. 60 (better known as the Jupiter
) locomotives were drawn up face-to-face on Promontory Summit, separated only by the width of a single tie. 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 who were present to witness the event. The Reverend John Todd was on hand to officiate at the ceremony. Three spikes were driven, one (and probably the most famous)was the gold spike, one was silver, and one was a mix of gold, silver, and iron.
Promontory Summit remained in use for 35 years. But, despite its historic importance, it was part of a large detour undertaken by the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific railroads because of the Great Salt Lake
. Union Pacific engineers had initially considered a direct route across the lake but instead opted for the surveyed line over Promontory Summit.
This changed when the Southern Pacific built a railroad trestle
between Ogden
and Lucin
. The Lucin Cutoff
, which was constructed between February 1902 and March 1904, completely bypassed Promontory Summit. After this point, rail traffic rarely used the original route. In 1942 the rails over Promontory's "Old Line" were lifted for use in World War II
's war effort
.
By crossing the lake, the new railroad route avoided 43 miles of curvatures
and grades. In the 1950s the trestle bridge was replaced with a parallel causeway
built by the Morrison Knudsen construction company. Southern Pacific continued to maintain the wooden trestle as a back-up for several decades although its last significant rail traffic was in the early 1960s.
But by the 1980s the trestle's condition had began to seriously deteriorate. Beginning in March 1993, the timber from the trestle has been salvaged and removed.
Promontory was the site of a temporary city during and shortly after the construction of the railroad, but this was then dismantled. The area has never had any permanent population. The effective meeting point of the two railroads was moved to Union Station
in Ogden, Utah
. Since 1957 Promontory Summit has been preserved as part of the Golden Spike National Historic Site
administered by the National Park Service
.
Although there is no longer a continuous railroad track running through Promontory, Utah, a 1½ mile section of track was relaid for Centennial anniversary in 1969. The NPS now operates replicas of the UP #119
and the Jupiter #60
on a seasonal basis. The original Jupiter was scrapped for iron in 1901 and No. 119 was broken up two years later. The new ones were built in California in the 1970s with $1.5 million of federal funds. These were the first steam engines constructed in the United States
since the late 1950s.
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is notable as the location of Promontory Summit where the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' Transcontinental Railroad was officially completed on May 10, 1869.
It is at an elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 1494 meters (4902 ft) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. Promontory is 51 km (31.7 mi) west of Brigham City, Utah
Brigham City, Utah
Brigham City is a city in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The population was 17,899 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Box Elder County. It lies on the western slope of the Wellsville Mountains, a branch of the Wasatch Range at the western terminus of Box Elder Canyon...
and 107 km (66.5 mi) northwest of Salt Lake City, and north of the Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
.
Railroad history
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
railroads finally met at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
. The ceremony to drive in the Last Spike
Golden spike
The "Golden Spike" is the ceremonial final spike driven by Leland Stanford to join the rails of the First Transcontinental Railroad across the United States connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory...
was originally to be held on May 8, but was postponed two days because of bad weather and a labor dispute on the Union Pacific side.
On May 10, in anticipation of the ceremony, Union Pacific's No. 119
Union Pacific No. 119
The No. 119 was a 4-4-0 steam locomotive which made history as one of the two locomotives to meet at Promontory Summit during the Golden Spike ceremony commemorating the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad.No...
and Central Pacific
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
's No. 60 (better known as the Jupiter
Jupiter (locomotive)
The Jupiter was a 4-4-0 steam locomotive which made history as one of the two locomotives The Jupiter (officially known as Central Pacific Railroad #60) was a 4-4-0 steam locomotive which made history as one of the two locomotives The Jupiter (officially known as Central Pacific Railroad #60) was...
) locomotives were drawn up face-to-face on Promontory Summit, separated only by the width of a single tie. 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 who were present to witness the event. The Reverend John Todd was on hand to officiate at the ceremony. Three spikes were driven, one (and probably the most famous)was the gold spike, one was silver, and one was a mix of gold, silver, and iron.
Cutoff
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
. Union Pacific engineers had initially considered a direct route across the lake but instead opted for the surveyed line over Promontory Summit.
This changed when the Southern Pacific built a railroad trestle
Trestle
A trestle is a rigid frame used as a support, especially referring to a bridge composed of a number of short spans supported by such frames. In the context of trestle bridges, each supporting frame is generally referred to as a bent...
between Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
and Lucin
Lucin, Utah
Lucin is an abandoned railroad community in Box Elder County, Utah, United States, along the western side of the Great Salt Lake, northwest of Salt Lake City.- History :...
. The Lucin Cutoff
Lucin Cutoff
The Lucin Cutoff is a railroad line which included a railroad trestle which crossed the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Built by the Southern Pacific Company between February 1902 and March 1904 across Promontory Point, it bypassed the original Central Pacific Railroad route through Promontory Summit...
, which was constructed between February 1902 and March 1904, completely bypassed Promontory Summit. After this point, rail traffic rarely used the original route. In 1942 the rails over Promontory's "Old Line" were lifted for use in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
's war effort
War effort
In politics and military planning, a war effort refers to a coordinated mobilization of society's resources—both industrial and human—towards the support of a military force...
.
By crossing the lake, the new railroad route avoided 43 miles of curvatures
Minimum railway curve radius
The minimum railway curve radius, the shortest design radius, has an important bearing on constructions costs and operating costs and, in combination with superelevation in the case of train tracks, determines the maximum safe speed of a curve. Superelevation is not a factor on tramway tracks...
and grades. In the 1950s the trestle bridge was replaced with a parallel causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
built by the Morrison Knudsen construction company. Southern Pacific continued to maintain the wooden trestle as a back-up for several decades although its last significant rail traffic was in the early 1960s.
But by the 1980s the trestle's condition had began to seriously deteriorate. Beginning in March 1993, the timber from the trestle has been salvaged and removed.
Later use
Union Station (Ogden)
Union Station in Ogden, Utah, also known as Ogden Union Station, is located on Historic 25th Street. It was formerly the junction of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads....
in Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
. Since 1957 Promontory Summit has been preserved as part of the Golden Spike National Historic Site
Golden Spike National Historic Site
Golden Spike National Historic Site is a U.S. National Historic Site located at Promontory Summit, north of the Great Salt Lake in Utah.It commemorates the completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad where the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad met on May 10, 1869...
administered by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
.
Although there is no longer a continuous railroad track running through Promontory, Utah, a 1½ mile section of track was relaid for Centennial anniversary in 1969. The NPS now operates replicas of the UP #119
Union Pacific No. 119
The No. 119 was a 4-4-0 steam locomotive which made history as one of the two locomotives to meet at Promontory Summit during the Golden Spike ceremony commemorating the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad.No...
and the Jupiter #60
Jupiter (locomotive)
The Jupiter was a 4-4-0 steam locomotive which made history as one of the two locomotives The Jupiter (officially known as Central Pacific Railroad #60) was a 4-4-0 steam locomotive which made history as one of the two locomotives The Jupiter (officially known as Central Pacific Railroad #60) was...
on a seasonal basis. The original Jupiter was scrapped for iron in 1901 and No. 119 was broken up two years later. The new ones were built in California in the 1970s with $1.5 million of federal funds. These were the first steam engines constructed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
since the late 1950s.
External links
- National Park Service: Golden Spike National Historic Site
- Pribonic, Mark A. "The Myth of the Great Railroad Meetup." Mises Daily, April 04, 2007.