A Look Back: Photos of the Transcontinental Railroad and Golden Spike historic site

Tribune file photo

This undated photo shows an event celebrating the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. The railroad was completed on May 10, 1869.

Tribune file photo

This is the most famous photograph taken of the "Last Spike" Ceremony at Promontory, May 10, 1869, with Central Pacific locomotive "Jupiter", CP No. 60, a wood-burner, on the left, and Union Pacific locomotive No. 119, a coal-burner on the right. The engineers of these two locomotives are on the pilots holding bottles of champagne which were later broken over the nose of each locomotive. Standing in the center shaking hands are the chief engineers of the two roads, Sam S. Montague of the Central Pacific (left) and General Dodge of the Union Pacific (right).

Tribune file photo

This photo from May 10, 1965, shows an event celebrating the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. The railroad was completed on May 10, 1869.

Tribune file photo

This undated photo shows an event celebrating the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. The railroad was completed on May 10, 1869.

Tribune file photo

A monument is unveiled at the Golden Spike National Historic Site in this photo from May, 1959.

Tribune file photo

Promontory is seen in this photo from May, 1869. The Trancontinental Railroad was completed here in a ceremony on May 10 that year.

Tribune file photo

Promontory is seen in this photo from May, 1869. The Trancontinental Railroad was completed here in a ceremony on May 10 that year.

Tribune file photo

Tribune file photo

Promontory is seen in this photo from May, 1869. The Trancontinental Railroad was completed here in a ceremony on May 10 that year.

Tribune file photo

Promontory is seen in this photo from May, 1869. The Trancontinental Railroad was completed here in a ceremony on May 10 that year.

Tribune file photo

This undated photo shows an event celebrating the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. The railroad was completed on May 10, 1869.

Tribune file photo

The ceremony marking the completion of the Transcontinetal Railraod, May 10, 1869.

Tribune file photo

In this photo from May 3, 1964, J. Dale Madsen, of Brigham City, examines drill holes made by hands of railroad workers in 1869.

Tribune file photo

This undated photo shows an event celebrating the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. The railroad was completed on May 10, 1869.

Tribune file photo

This undated photo shows an event celebrating the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. The railroad was completed on May 10, 1869.

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Tribune file photo This undated photo shows an event celebrating the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. The railroad was completed on May 10, 1869. Tribune file photo This is the most famous photograph taken of the "Last Spike" Ceremony at Promontory, May 10, 1869, with Central Pacific locomotive "Jupiter", CP No. 60, a wood-burner, on the left, and Union Pacific locomotive No. 119, a coal-burner on the right. The engineers of these two locomotives are on the pilots holding bottles of champagne which were later broken over the nose of each locomotive. Standing in the center shaking hands are the chief engineers of the two roads, Sam S. Montague of the Central Pacific (left) and General Dodge of the Union Pacific (right). Tribune file photo This photo from May 10, 1965, shows an event celebrating the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. The railroad was completed on May 10, 1869. Tribune file photo This undated photo shows an event celebrating the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. The railroad was completed on May 10, 1869. Tribune file photo A monument is unveiled at the Golden Spike National Historic Site in this photo from May, 1959. Tribune file photo Promontory is seen in this photo from May, 1869. The Trancontinental Railroad was completed here in a ceremony on May 10 that year. Tribune file photo Promontory is seen in this photo from May, 1869. The Trancontinental Railroad was completed here in a ceremony on May 10 that year. Tribune file photo Tribune file photo Promontory is seen in this photo from May, 1869. The Trancontinental Railroad was completed here in a ceremony on May 10 that year. Tribune file photo Promontory is seen in this photo from May, 1869. The Trancontinental Railroad was completed here in a ceremony on May 10 that year. Tribune file photo This undated photo shows an event celebrating the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. The railroad was completed on May 10, 1869. Tribune file photo The ceremony marking the completion of the Transcontinetal Railraod, May 10, 1869. Tribune file photo In this photo from May 3, 1964, J. Dale Madsen, of Brigham City, examines drill holes made by hands of railroad workers in 1869. Tribune file photo This undated photo shows an event celebrating the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. The railroad was completed on May 10, 1869. Tribune file photo This undated photo shows an event celebrating the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. The railroad was completed on May 10, 1869.

The Salt Lake Tribune

· May 10, 2013 6:13 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Each Friday, The Salt Lake Tribune presents images from its archives in a special series called A Look Back. Today's photos show various events at the Golden Spike National Historic Site and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869.

Every gallery of the series is available at http://www.sltrib.com/topics/lookback.

Here are some of the previous installments:

Life on the Ute Reservation in early the 1900s

Women's fashion in the 1960s

Dogs in Utah around 1900

Utah's early cultural diversity

Utah artists from the late 1800s to the early 1900s

Presidential visits to Utah from the 1860s

Hunting and fishing in the early 1900s

BYU, Utah football programs

Saloons, brewing companies in Utah around 1900

The centennial Days of '47 parade in downtown Salt Lake City from July 1947

Women's fashion from 1949-50

Construction of the Salt Lake Temple and SLC in the 1800s

Utah college life from the 1930s to 1960s

Old newspaper advertisements

People and events in Salt Lake City from the 1930s, '40s and '50s

Historical images of Sugar House

Aerial images of Salt Lake City in the 1960s

Historic photos of Temple Square

Historic scenes from Salt Lake City

The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks

Salt Lake City in the 1900s

Key moments in Utah Jazz history

Salt Lake City's Liberty Park from 1935 to 1951

Kennecott Utah Copper Mine in the 1930s and 1940s

Salt Lake City and other Utah cities in the 1800s

Historical buildings in Salt Lake City