Transcontinental Railroad Celebration
With steel, sweat, and unity, a nation came together on the tracks of progress.
Story Origin and Inspiration
The Transcontinental Railroad Celebration design is inspired by the completion of America’s first transcontinental railroad, a landmark achievement that forever changed the nation. On May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory, workers, dignitaries, and citizens gathered to witness the driving of the Golden Spike, which joined the tracks of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads. This moment symbolized the triumph of innovation, relentless hard work, and the uniting of East and West.
Immigrant labor played a vital role—Chinese, Irish, and other workers endured harsh conditions, carving tunnels through mountains and laying thousands of miles of track across plains and deserts. The celebration, with locomotives facing each other and workers proudly assembled between them, captured a vision of progress and unity, with the American flag waving as a symbol of shared achievement.
📜 Synopsis of the Story:
On that spring day in 1869, two steam locomotives—the Central Pacific’s Jupiter and the Union Pacific No. 119—met nose-to-nose on the tracks. Crowds of workers, officials, and photographers gathered, cheering as a ceremonial golden spike was driven into a polished tie of California laurel wood. Telegraph wires connected to the spike instantly sent the message across the nation: “DONE.”
This historic moment was not only a feat of engineering but also a symbol of the spirit of endurance and cooperation that defined America’s growth. The transcontinental railroad connected communities, reduced coast-to-coast travel from months to days, and became a living emblem of unity and possibility. The woven design captures this gathering of people, locomotives, and flag, a reminder that progress is built through both vision and collective effort.
🎵 I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
1894 in a book called Carmina Princetonia, a collection of Princeton University songs.
I’ve been working on the railroad,
All the live-long day.
I’ve been working on the railroad,
Just to pass the time away.
Don’t you hear the whistle blowing,
Rise up so early in the morn.
Don’t you hear the captain shouting,
“Dinah, blow your horn!”
Chorus:
Dinah, won’t you blow,
Dinah, won’t you blow,
Dinah, won’t you blow your horn?
Dinah, won’t you blow,
Dinah, won’t you blow,
Dinah, won’t you blow your horn?
Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah,
Someone’s in the kitchen I know.
Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah,
Strummin’ on the old banjo.
Chorus:
And singin’ fee-fi-fiddly-i-o,
Fee-fi-fiddly-i-o-o-o-o,
Fee-fi-fiddly-i-o,
Strummin’ on the old banjo. 🎶