'Golden' site lacks a piece of its luster

"'Golden' site lacks a piece of its luster" by Lee Benson, © Deseret Morning News, May 15, 2006. (News Article)

"GOLDEN SPIKE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE — Just one nagging little problem here at the place that has now been officially designated to be Utah's signature on the state's new commemorative quarters. ... The golden spike isn't here. ... Promontory Summit these days ... Everything here is newer than it looks. The ties, the rails, even the steam locomotives — all replicas. The whole place is a movie set, a modern tribute to that historic moment ... It was only fortunate timing that landed the historic event in Utah. A hundred miles to the east and it would have been in Wyoming, a hundred miles to the west, Nevada. ... Small wonder the vast majority of Utahns are of the opinion that the golden spike image should be on our new quarter. But how many of them know the golden spike isn't at the Golden Spike National Historic Site? It was at Promontory only until 1892 [sic], when an art museum opened at a California university and the famous spike was shipped there for display. ... The university? Stanford. ... The spike is still there. It doesn't somehow seem right, does it? It would be like moving the Liberty Bell out of Philadelphia, the Alamo out of Texas, Old Faithful out of Yellowstone, the London Bridge out of London. The golden spike belongs in Utah. And pretty soon, we'll have the quarters to prove it. ... " [More]

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