© 2024 KPCW

KPCW
Spencer F. Eccles Broadcast Center
PO Box 1372 | 460 Swede Alley
Park City | UT | 84060
Office: (435) 649-9004 | Studio: (435) 655-8255

Music & Artist Inquiries: music@kpcw.org
News Tips & Press Releases: news@kpcw.org
Volunteer Opportunities
General Inquiries: info@kpcw.org
Listen Like a Local Park City & Heber City Summit & Wasatch counties, Utah
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Utah Prepares For 150 Anniversary Of The Completion Of Transcontinental Railroad

Spike 150 .org

The Spike 150 Foundation has been organizing for two years to prepare for the sesquicentennial of the joining of the transcontinental railroad.

The Chair of the group, Doug Foxley, says that over 150 events will be part of the state-wide celebration. One of the coolest will be in Summit County.

Foxley said the Spike 150 Foundation aims to “Party like it’s 1869.” Since it was authorized by the state legislature, they’ve been funded by over $8.6 million in cash and in-kind contributions.

While the big event is May 10th at Promontory Point, the Union Pacific entered Utah through Echo Canyon. Foxley said on the morning of May 8th, the town of Echo will be visited by the 4014 Big Boy, the largest steam locomotive ever made.

“Its just barley become operational again,” Foxley explained. “It's going to be coming down Weber Canyon, it’s going to stop at Echo at about 9:30 on Wednesday May 8th.  It will be there for about 15 minutes and I am telling you this is something that you and everyone ought to go see it is just an amazing thing. It will join up in Ogden with the 844 we’ll have the two trains in a cow catcher fashion, similar to what happened out at Promontory. When you have the Jupitar and the 119 but this is going to be literally hundreds if not thousands of people who will be following the train down from Evanston

Foxley said he expects there will be throngs of spectators along Interstate 80 that morning.

The events at Promontory on May 10th is sold out. But the event, with re-enactments and music, will be broadcast live on KSL from 12:30 to 1:00 pm. Jon Mecham a historian and journalist, will be speaking at the ceremony. Activities there will continue through the weekend of the 11th and 12th.

Foxley said there will be a host of events including at Ogden.

“On Thursday May 9th in Ogden where these trains come together, they're going to close down Wall Ave, they're going to close on 25th St,” Foxley continued. “They're going to have railroad days there. It's going to be magnificent. The trains will be in Ogden through Sunday morning then they’ll be going back up Weber Canyon. So, if you miss them coming down the canyon on Wednesday, on Mother’s Day on the 12th of May they’ll be going up.”

On Friday night, a concert will be presented by the Utah Symphony and the Tabernacle Choir, with Broadway performers Megan Hilty and Brian Stokes Mitchell. The event is free, but you need to obtain a ticket.

And a special historic exhibit will be on hand on the second floor of the Utah State Capitol, May 5th to June 25th. The memorabilia include the 1862 Pacific Railroad Act signed by Abraham Lincoln.

“We’ve got the Golden spike, we've got the Nevada silver spike, the Arizona spike, and the new Utah spike along with the Stanford mall,” Foxley said. “These are all going to be on display at the Utah State Capitol building in the Spencer F. Eccles treasures exhibit. It's free to the public. This has never happened before, and I doubt it will ever happen again, but the national archives is bringing this document out it's costing us several hundred thousand dollars to have it here.”

And the Golden Spike, Foxley said, has already traveled to Utah.

“We were able to get it,” Foxley explained. “Stanford, The Cantor Museum finally were kind enough to give it to us. Because we were able to get it it’s now at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, with a phenomenal display of the original photographs of Hart and Russell the two official photographers of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific. So it will be coming from the UMFA to the State Capitol building and so we will have the original golden spike which is here. It will be at the capital but you know it will have it here through the end of June.”

Known for getting all the facts right, as well as his distinctive sign-off, Rick covered Summit County meetings and issues for 35 years on KPCW. He now heads the Friday Film Review team.
Related Content