Jubilation Coast to Coast
For four years Americans silently followed the progress
of the Pacific railroad in their newspapers, anxious
to see it completed. By May 1869, intense attention
was focused on this desolate corner of northern Utah.
The entire country was eager for word that the last
spike had been driven.
A telegraph signal sent from the tracks just 100 yards
ahead triggered a truly transcontinental extravaganza. As
the word went out over the wires, the nation went wild.
In city after city, church bells rang, trains hooted, fire
engines howled, gongs clanged, and cannons thundered.
Citizens thronged the streets to watch parades. People
sang The Star-Spangled Banner, prayed, and shouted
themselves hoarse. Countless orators hailed this as a
"great day" of national destiny.
San Francisco, New York, Chicago,
St. Louis, Omaha, and many other
cities erupted in celebrations for the
greatest engineering achievement
of 19th-century America.
Don't miss the rest of our virtual tour of Golden Spike National Historical Site in 660 images.