NNG The Race To Promontory

Yesterday I went to the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska with a couple of long time steam crew members to see the Golden Spike Exhibit. This is a traveling exhibit that will be in Omaha til Jan 6 2019 then move to Utah Museum of Fine Arts then Crocker Art Museum in California.

This exhibit displays the three of four ceremonial spikes that were used in the May 10 1869 evet. You can even see the hammer marks on the Golden Spike. Also on display are the hand drawn survey maps of General Dodge of the Union Pacific as well as photos taken by Railroad photographer Andrew Russell of the Union Pacific and stereographs of Alfred Hart of the Central Pacific.
Any rail fan railroader or historian should try to see this as it is the first time the three have been together since that day in Promontory. And, to see the actual spikes, I mean, I have read about the event for years, in school, railroad articles, etc and here they are. Truly an amazing experience.

Did not truly realize this but this was the first “ live “ broadcast, if you will, event. Curtesy of Western Union Telegraph with the Spike hammer wired and the Spike wired every operator from coast to cost could here the tapping of the Spike.

Also note in the next hundred years and a couple of months we would all be watching man walk on the moon.

I took a lot of pictures but have no idea on how to upload here so below is a link about the event





Truly one of the most important artifact is American History on display for a short time. I encourage everyone to try to see it.

Dan