Utah’s beautiful scenery drew us back down after we had finished our fun and adventures in Idaho. You can read the latest Idaho adventure here. We have been in Utah on a few occasions but have not lingered enough to truly get some of the cultural flavor, restaurant experiences, history and hiking. So, hang on tight, here we go!
Utah’s Beautiful Golden Spike
Manifest Destiny
A quick history lesson may be in order before continuing with this section. The concept of “Manifest Destiny” had been around for almost 100 years by the time the term was actually coined. Owner and Editor of The United States Magazine and Democratic Review, John Louis O’Sullivan wrote that it was “our manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent” in 1845.
A lot of history fills the 20 years surrounding that phrase, and for those interested please feel free to do a deep dive. It is fascinating. In short, The American Civil War (1861 to 1865), The Homestead Act (in conjunction planning and preparation for the Transcontinental Railroad (1862), Gadsen Purchase (1854) and Abraham Lincoln’s election to President of the US (1860) for example.
The Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroad Companies designed and created the transcontinental railroad to connect the wide, empty expanse of the center of America with the mid-west and the west coast. This was a bid to encourage settlement, farming and ranching in the the sparsely settled west (without respect to the already existing Native Americans living there). It also was to reduce travel time for goods and passengers going to California and Oregon and coming back to the east from those ports. Another benefit was to reduce the costs and danger incurred with transporting those goods and passengers.
Transcontinental Railroad
Designers planned for the first transcontinental railroad to go from San Francisco Bay and connect to existing lines at Council Bluffs in Iowa. Three railroad companies were awarded contracts, although Western Pacific only constructed 132 miles along the west coast. Union Pacific raced west constructing 1085 miles of track, and the Central Pacific constructing 690 miles running east. Before anyone gets the idea that Central Pacific was slacking, keep in mind that they had 2 major mountain ranges to contend with.
The railroad companies were paid by the mile, with mountainous and difficult terrain getting a bonus. This is interesting and came in to play where the two met in Promontory Summit in 1869. This area is now Golden Spike National Historic Park. Both companies continued laying miles of parallel track in opposite directions until the government finally told them the contract was complete. Graft and government waste is not new.
Competing lines
The two railroad companies passed each other and continued laying track in opposing directions. Blasting and prepped work had been completed less than 50 feet from the other track. The evidence still exists where that work was done. This picture is an example of step down digging to reduce a hill to lower grade. I took this picture literally standing on the other track. The railroads removed the tracks during WWII for the steel, as another, quicker route through Salt Lake City had been constructed.
There is a really interesting driving trail along the track with numbered markers corresponding to information in the visitor center pamphlet.
Finally the Golden Spike!
Finally, the Golden Spike! If you are like me, you are envisioning one final spike, in golden splendor, being hammered into the track. We were surprised to learn that there were 4 special spikes. Two spikes were gold, one silver and one iron spike with silver and gold plating. They laid a special laurelwood tie for the ceremony. Then, immediately following the ceremony, a regular pine tie and iron spikes were driven in by a railroad worker completing the work on May 10 1869. A great account of the ceremony can be read here.
They perform multiple daily reenactments of the ceremony with replica’s of the locomotives and tracks.
A 75 year old Restaurant and great Campground!
While camping north of Salt Lake City, we took advantage of our location to visit one of Utah’s beautiful historic restaurants. The Maddox Ranch House has been in continuous operation as a Steakhouse since August 1949. The founding family built it on skids, so they could drag it to another location if it failed! The owners were successful and history was made. They built onto it over the decades, creating a several small interconnected dining rooms, a drive through and pull up cabin window.
I found my steak delicous. Ash loved her burger and fries and Sierra, well is a teenage girl and ate a salad. I refused to take a picture of a salad at a steakhouse…
We treated ourselves and stayed at one of Utah’s beautiful KOA’s in south Perry, Utah. We splurged and got a site with a fenced little dog yard, grill and patio! Cass loved her space to be outside off leash.
We really enjoyed the comfort and niceties offered by a KOA. It was nostalgic in that some of the playground equipment was very “old school”. They had newer, plastic equipment on rubber mulch too, but I found those much less interesting. Then a pancake breakfast and evening ice cream social capped off the experience!
Check back in next time for more of Utah’s Beautiful Landscapes
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