Golden Spike NHS Landscape: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Golden Spike National Historic Site, National Park Service
Homstad C, Caywood J, Froeschauer Nelson P, Emmons A, Anderson A. 2010. Golden Spike NHS Landscape: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Golden Spike National Historic Site, National Park Service. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Report. 890167. NPS Intermountain Regional Office. Intermountain Regional Office/CLI Database
The Golden Spike National Historic Site (NHS) Landscape, located north of the Great Salt Lake in northwestern Utah, includes a portion of the “parallel line” constructed by two rival railroad companies – the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad – during the race to complete the nation's first transcontinental railroad. The period of significance is 1869-1942, reflecting the construction and operation of the transcontinental railroad. It provided faster, cheaper transportation for supplies and mail and helped to stimulate commercial trade between the eastern and western United States. The completion of the line influenced immigration, settlement, industry, agricultural development, and Native American lifestyles indefinitely. Remaining landscape features demonstrate the process by which the railroad was constructed, also illustrating the spirit of competition that was encouraged by the federal government. These strides in engineering demonstrate the technology and standards developed during the Civil War. In addition to its national importance, the Golden Spike illustrates the impact of the railroad to the local, isolated area populated by ranchers and farmers. The landscape is historically significant for associations with national development, commerce, settlement, and engineering, initially listed on the National Register in 1966 under Criteria A, C, and D. The landscape includes the archaeological remains of at least 31 worker and supply camps, the “Hell-on-wheels” town of Deadfall, the transfer station and section town of Promontory, multiple soil and rock borrow areas, and spoils piles. There are also numerous mechanical engineered structures incorporated into the railroad grades, such as earthen and rock-filled grades; 24 culverts constructed of varying materials such as masonry, stone rubble, dimensional lumber, and riveted steel; two intact trestles; and eight trestle sites. Other significant engineered features within this landscape are two “merger” points, where the parallel railroad grades actually met, and railroad sidings and setouts—most of which were constructed after the line was officially opened for use. The linear, parallel railroad grades and remnants of the telegraph system run throughout the 15½ mile length of the park, both extremely significant landscape features within this cultural landscape. As a whole, the cultural landscape retains integrity and is in good condition. The landscape characteristics that remain most evident and applicable to this landscape include the topography, response to natural features, spatial organization, buildings and structures, and archeological sites. Character-defining features associated with each of the significant landscape characteristics reveal the story of construction and operation of the transcontinental railroad, allowing for an appreciation of the history of railroad construction, the national importance of this transportation route, and the impact it had on the surrounding region.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Homstad, Carla; Caywood, Janene; Froeschauer Nelson, Peggy; Emmons, Ann; Anderson, Adrienne
- Date of Issue
- 2010-07-20
- Publisher
- NPS Intermountain Regional Office
- Units
- GOSP , IMR
- Keywords
- Archeology, Borrow Pit, Box Elder County, Central Pacific Railroad, Chinese, Civil War, Commerce, communications, Construction, Culvert, Deadfall, Designed Landscape, Engineering, Engineering and Invention, Expanding Science and Technology, Exploration-Settlement, Great Salt Lake Basin, historic site, immigration, industrial development, Irish, Last Spike Site, Mechanical Engineered Structures, Mormon, National Development, Native American Lifestyle, Parallel Railroad Grade, Politics-Government, Promontory, Promontory Mountains, Railroad, Settlement, technology, telegraph, The Mining Frontier, transcontinental railroad, Transportation, Trestle, Union Pacific Railroad, Utah, Vernacular Landscape, Westward Expansion of the Colonies and the United States 1763-1898, Workers' Camps