Golden Spike National Historical Park

Located in northern Utah, Golden Spike was re-designated as a national historical park on March 12, 2019. The park commemorates the connection of the Union Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad at Promontory Summit, where the final spike was driven to form the first transcontinental railroad in the United States. Golden Spike National Historical Park protects the memory of the thousands of workers who helped build the railroad, including Civil War veterans, formerly enslaved African Americans, Irish and Chinese immigrants, American Indians, and Mormons. Chinese workers in particular faced discrimination, earning lower wages than the other workers. During the construction of the railroad, the Central Pacific team of mainly Chinese workers set a record of laying more than 10 miles of train track in one day, a record that still holds today. Park visitors can observe Chinese Arch, a unique geological feature that was named for the Chinese immigrants who helped build the railroad, many of whom were injured or lost their lives in the process.