Northern Pacific Railroad Completion Site, 1883 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Northern Pacific Railroad Completion Site, 1883
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 Location in Montana
Location in the United States
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| Location | Off Interstate 90 Independence Creek, Montana |
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| Area | 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001075 |
| Added to NRHP | August 19, 1983 |
The Northern Pacific Railroad Completion Site is a really important place in American history! It's where a huge event happened in 1883: the completion of the Northern Pacific Railway. This railway was a massive project, connecting the eastern and western parts of the United States. The site is located in Powell County, Montana, near a place called Gold Creek. You can find it off Interstate 90, about 59 miles (95 km) southeast of Missoula.
Contents
Building a Transcontinental Railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a railway line that crosses an entire continent. The Northern Pacific Railway was one of these amazing projects. It aimed to build a route across the northern United States. The plan was to connect Minnesota in the east all the way to the Pacific Coast.
Who Started the Northern Pacific Railway?
The idea for the Northern Pacific Railway began with a man named Jay Cooke in 1870. Later, a group of investors led by Henry Villard took over the ownership. Building a railroad across such a vast country was a huge challenge. Crews worked from both the eastern and western ends of the line. They were building towards a meeting point somewhere in the middle.
The Tracks Meet in Montana
The two construction crews finally met in Western Montana on August 22, 1883. This historic spot was near Independence Creek, close to Gold Creek. Gold Creek is famous because it's where gold was first discovered in Montana. When the tracks were connected here, it meant the transcontinental line was complete!
The Golden Spike Ceremony
Even though the tracks were connected in August, the big "golden spike" completion ceremony happened a bit later. This special event took place on September 8, 1883. It was a huge celebration to mark the official finish of the railway.
Guests and Dignitaries
About 300 important guests traveled by train from the east to attend the ceremony. These guests included Henry Villard, who was the president of the Northern Pacific. Frederick Billings, the Chairman of the NP's Executive Committee, was also there. There were even important visitors from other countries like England and Germany. A fifth train arrived carrying guests from the west coast.
The Special Spike
For the ceremony, a section of the newly laid track was temporarily removed. This was so it could be relaid in a special way during the event. The "golden spike" driven that day wasn't actually made of gold. It was the very same spike that had been used to start the construction of the Northern Pacific. That first spike was driven thirteen years earlier in Carlton, Minnesota.
Driving the Final Spike
Three important people helped drive the final spike. They were Henry Villard, the railway's president, and former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant. Also participating was Henry C. Davis, who had helped drive the very first spike. It was a truly memorable moment in American history.
The Historic Site Today
The Northern Pacific Railroad Completion Site is recognized as a very important historical place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 19, 1983. The site covers about 2.5-acre (1.0 ha). It includes the exact spot where the final spike was driven. It also includes the area where special pavilions were built for the 1883 celebrations.
You can still see a wooden sign marking the location today. The Northern Pacific Railway originally put up this sign. It's visible from Interstate 90, near where Independence Creek flows into the Clark Fork River.
