Railroad Turns 150
The workmen and company owners celebrate after the final spike of the Transcontinental Railroad is driven. (Credit: A.J. Russell, Yale University Libraries)
May 10, 2019
Irish contributions to American history received a special recognition this week. The 150th anniversary of connecting the First Transcontinental Railroad was commemorated in a two-day celebration in Utah May 9 and 10 at Promontory Point, the state landmark where the Golden Spike connecting the track’s east and west branches was struck on May 10, 1869. The railroad was six years in the making, with the physical labor conducted largely by immigrants – Irishmen making up a hefty portion.