090617 Promotory, Utah
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Promotory, Utah
The last 5 days at Willard Bay State Park were well spent with Danny and I getting to know each other. He is very smart and energetic and responds to some commands quite well.
With a sense of adventure reborn, we headed to a famous historical landmark in United States railroading history.
After the Civil War ended, the country looked ahead to expansion and travel. That meant traveling from east to west. In the past, the Mississippi River defined the border of civilization and safety for many travelers, because west of the Mississippi was the untamed frontier. The only way to cross it was by wagon train thru barren desert plains and over monstrous mountains and if the natural elements didn’t kill you then there were the Indians to worry about.
The government decided we needed a railroad system that would enable pioneers and settlers to travel across the entire continental U.S.
One crew, staffed by Chinese immigrants started in California and headed east. Starting with about 1,000 workers, the crew expanded to over 10,000 by the time the job was finished. Their most differcult task was boring a tunnel thru a mountain of granite rock. They averaged less than a foot of progress a day but succeeded in building the 37-mile tunnel in a year.
The crew laying track from the east had to contend with the dangers and weather of the frontier and dust storms and Indians killed many.
In 1869, the two crews meet and connected their tracks to complete the first transcontinental railroad. To commemorate the occasion, a golden spike was driven into the connecting piece of track. Of course the gold spike was them quickly removed and sent to a museum for safekeeping and was replaced with a standard iron spike painted gold.
Completion of the world's first transcontinental railroad was celebrated here where the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads met on May 10, 1869. Golden Spike was designated as a national historic site in nonfederal ownership on April 2, 1957, and authorized for federal ownership and administration by an act of Congress on July 30, 1965.
Promotory, Utah
The last 5 days at Willard Bay State Park were well spent with Danny and I getting to know each other. He is very smart and energetic and responds to some commands quite well.
With a sense of adventure reborn, we headed to a famous historical landmark in United States railroading history.
After the Civil War ended, the country looked ahead to expansion and travel. That meant traveling from east to west. In the past, the Mississippi River defined the border of civilization and safety for many travelers, because west of the Mississippi was the untamed frontier. The only way to cross it was by wagon train thru barren desert plains and over monstrous mountains and if the natural elements didn’t kill you then there were the Indians to worry about.
The government decided we needed a railroad system that would enable pioneers and settlers to travel across the entire continental U.S.
One crew, staffed by Chinese immigrants started in California and headed east. Starting with about 1,000 workers, the crew expanded to over 10,000 by the time the job was finished. Their most differcult task was boring a tunnel thru a mountain of granite rock. They averaged less than a foot of progress a day but succeeded in building the 37-mile tunnel in a year.
The crew laying track from the east had to contend with the dangers and weather of the frontier and dust storms and Indians killed many.
In 1869, the two crews meet and connected their tracks to complete the first transcontinental railroad. To commemorate the occasion, a golden spike was driven into the connecting piece of track. Of course the gold spike was them quickly removed and sent to a museum for safekeeping and was replaced with a standard iron spike painted gold.
Completion of the world's first transcontinental railroad was celebrated here where the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads met on May 10, 1869. Golden Spike was designated as a national historic site in nonfederal ownership on April 2, 1957, and authorized for federal ownership and administration by an act of Congress on July 30, 1965.
Click below for train photos and story
http://www.nps.gov/gosp/historyculture/upload/jupiter%202.pdf
This historical site was to represent 2 important moments.
Firstly, it was the first sightseeing event I have chosen to take since Peter’s death and secondly, it will be the first time that Danny will get to appear in public as a service dog in training.
Promotory Point (20 miles west of Corrine) is in the northeastern Utah desert, north of the Great Salt Lake.
The main attraction is the presence of two steam locomotives that are duplicates of the original steam engines that were at the connection ceremony. Though operational, they did not allow guests to ride them as they traversed the landscape to reenact their meeting.
Just another piece and place of history to check off the list.
Danny donned Peter’s old service dog vest which barely fit him as I let out the belly strap to its fullest. Danny is about 85 pounds and Peter was about 60. He was obviously excited and happy to begin a new role in his young life. Aside from some exuberant pulling he performed quite well for his initial outing.
His only fall from grace was his barking when the steaming trains blew their loud whistles and clanged their bells. I don’t know if he thought this was a karaoke session and he was supposed to sing along or he was complaining because the noise hurt his ears.
In either case, the rest of the tour group fully understood his response as most of them held their hands over their ears until the noise of the engines stopped.
Since this is a National Historical site and I am a disabled person, I was eligible for a Federal Access Pass that allowed me to visit the site free. I had a Golden Eagle pass, which I lost, but apparently this new “NATIONAL PARKS AND FEDERAL RECREATION LANDS PASS” has replaced it.
When we start the day, the weather was gray and raining, but by the time we arrived at the venue, the sun was out and the blue sky has some pretty white clouds.
All in all a good day.
http://www.nps.gov/gosp/historyculture/upload/jupiter%202.pdf
This historical site was to represent 2 important moments.
Firstly, it was the first sightseeing event I have chosen to take since Peter’s death and secondly, it will be the first time that Danny will get to appear in public as a service dog in training.
Promotory Point (20 miles west of Corrine) is in the northeastern Utah desert, north of the Great Salt Lake.
The main attraction is the presence of two steam locomotives that are duplicates of the original steam engines that were at the connection ceremony. Though operational, they did not allow guests to ride them as they traversed the landscape to reenact their meeting.
Just another piece and place of history to check off the list.
Danny donned Peter’s old service dog vest which barely fit him as I let out the belly strap to its fullest. Danny is about 85 pounds and Peter was about 60. He was obviously excited and happy to begin a new role in his young life. Aside from some exuberant pulling he performed quite well for his initial outing.
His only fall from grace was his barking when the steaming trains blew their loud whistles and clanged their bells. I don’t know if he thought this was a karaoke session and he was supposed to sing along or he was complaining because the noise hurt his ears.
In either case, the rest of the tour group fully understood his response as most of them held their hands over their ears until the noise of the engines stopped.
Since this is a National Historical site and I am a disabled person, I was eligible for a Federal Access Pass that allowed me to visit the site free. I had a Golden Eagle pass, which I lost, but apparently this new “NATIONAL PARKS AND FEDERAL RECREATION LANDS PASS” has replaced it.
When we start the day, the weather was gray and raining, but by the time we arrived at the venue, the sun was out and the blue sky has some pretty white clouds.
All in all a good day.
posted by The Highway Guys @ 5:33 PM
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