Transcontinental Railroad

Utahns wanted the railroad early — they petitioned Congress in 1852, a decade before the Enabling Act. When the Central Pacific and Union Pacific finally met at Promontory on May 10, 1869, and the golden spike joined the coasts, Utah stood at the center of it. Brigham Young, who had graded track for the Union Pacific, took his pay not in cash but in iron and rolling stock — six hundred thousand dollars' worth — and used it to build the Utah Central, the spur that linked Salt Lake City to the main line at Ogden.

What the plaque says

As western settlement increased, the need for an overland railroad was voiced by various groups, including Utah pioneers who petitioned Congress, Mar. 1852. The Enabling Act of 1862 authorized construction. First rails laid by Central Pacific in Sacramento, Cal. Oct. 26, 1863; by Union Pacific near Omaha, Neb. July 10, 1865. Strong and determined men hewed the iron road to complete a gigantic task that ended with driving of the Golden Spike at Promotory, Utah May 10, 1869. In lieu of cash settlement on his contract, Brigham Young accepted as partial payment from Union Pacific $600,000 in iron and rolling stock, with which Utah Central Railroad was built, Ogden to Salt Lake City, and dedicated Jan. 10, 1870.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Temple Square — 0.6 mi
  The spiritual and architectural heart of Salt Lake City
• Salt Lake City — 0.6 mi
  Utah's capital and largest city — where the Wasatch Range meets the Great Salt Lake.
• Ensign Peak — 1.7 mi
  A short hike to the spot where Brigham Young surveyed the valley
• Liberty Park — 2.2 mi
  Salt Lake Citys beloved 80-acre urban park since 1882

More markers nearby

• Devereaux House/ Wm Stains & Wm Jennings (2) — steps away
• Henderson Block — 0.3 mi
• Martha Hughes Cannon — 0.3 mi
• Central Warehouse Building — 0.3 mi