The Golden Spike

In the 1860s, two railroad companies started building tracks toward each other from opposite sides of the country.

The Union Pacific built west from Nebraska, and the Central Pacific built east from California over the tall Sierra Nevada mountains.

Thousands of workers — including many Chinese, Irish, and formerly enslaved Americans — laid the heavy iron rails, one crosstie at a time.

On May 10, 1869, the two railroads finally met at a place called Promontory Summit, Utah.

A ceremonial golden spike was tapped into the last rail, and a telegraph tapped one word to the whole country: 'Done!'