The Promontory Mountains just an hour north of Salt Lake City are scarred by the remnants of old railroad infrastructure. Cuts, fills, and culverts were used to bring trains up and down steep grades. The Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads were racing to connect the country from coast to coast, but they both had to cross the Spring Creek Ravine. In 1869, the Union Pacific and its track gangs built a flimsy wooden trestle at the Big Fill while the Central Pacific’s Chinese and Mormon workers filled up the ravine with dirt.
On May 10, 1869, the two railroads finally met in the middle. The bosses of the two railway companies had the honour of driving in the last spike at noon, connecting the country by telegraph and train. After it was finished, the bosses sent a telegraph to then-president Ulysses S. Grant informing him that the last spike had been driven. The Golden Spike is displayed at the Pioneer Memorial Museum in Salt Lake City.
There are two other points of interest nearby. The limestone Chinese Arch was eroded by the ancient Lake Bonneville from what scientists say was formed 300 million years ago. Historians say it was named that way to recognize the contribution of 10,000 Chinese railroad workers with the Central Pacific Railroad. The Chinese also maintained the railroad decades after its construction. Northrup Grumman’s test facility isn’t far either. The Rocket Garden contains 1:1 rockets from NASA, the US Air Force, and US Navy. Missiles shot from planes, ships, and ground.
