Leland Stanford drove the ceremonial Golden Spike completing the first U.S. transcontinental railroad in 1869.
Stanford was president of the Central Pacific Railroad, which built eastward from Sacramento, California. The Union Pacific built westward from the Missouri River, and the two lines met at Promontory Summit in Utah Territory. On May 10, 1869, Stanford ceremonially tapped the 17.6-karat gold spike into a specially prepared laurelwood tie.
The event connected the Central Pacific and Union Pacific lines, creating a major rail link between the eastern network and the Pacific coast. It dramatically reduced travel time across the United States and encouraged migration, trade, and settlement in the West. The ceremonial spike was removed after the event and is now displayed at Stanford University's Cantor Arts Center.
The railroad was not instantly a seamless coast-to-coast journey: passengers still faced connections and ferries at some points. The ceremony is also sometimes called the “Wedding of the Rails.” Thomas Durant represented the Union Pacific, but Stanford—not Durant—drove the famous golden spike.