The Birth of the Transcontinental Railroad

The building of the Transcontinental Railroad is one of the greatest achievements in the history of mankind. Through American ingenuity, dedication, and hard work, the Transcontinental Railroad was born May 10, 1869, at the "golden spike" event at Promontory Summit, Utah.

As part of the day’s celebration for the long awaited final achievement of this “modern marvel,” the following poem was read:
 

Poem read at the Celebration of the opening of
The Pacific Railroad, Chicago,
May 10th, 1869.

Ring out, oh bells. Let cannons roar
In loudest tones of thunder
The iron bars from shore to shore
Are laid and Nations wonder

Through deserts vast and forests deep
Through mountains grand and hoary
A path is opened for all time
And we behold the glory

We who but yesterday appeared
But settlers on the border
Where only savages were reared
Mid chaos and disorder

We wake to find ourselves midway
In continental station
And send our greetings either way
Across the mighty nation

We reach out towards the golden gate
And eastward to the ocean
The tea will come at lightning rate
And likewise Yankee notions

From spicy islands off the West
The breezes now are blowing
And all creation does its best
To set the greenbacks flowing
The eastern tourist will turn out
And visit all the stations
For Pullman runs upon the route
With most attractive rations

--_From the Chicago Tribune, May 11th, 1869._