• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Irish America

Irish America

Irish America

  • HOME
  • WHO WE ARE
    • ABOUT US
    • IRISH AMERICA TEAM
  • IN THIS ISSUE
  • HALL OF FAME
  • THE LISTS
    • BUSINESS 100
    • HALL OF FAME
    • HEALTH AND LIFE SCIENCES 50
    • WALL STREET 50
  • LIBRARY
  • TRAVEL
  • EVENTS

Mount Errigal, Donegal. Courtesy of Tourism Ireand.

May 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Mount Errigal, Donegal. Courtesy of Tourism Ireand.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Featured Video

Featured Podcast

News from the Irish Post

  • £20,000 reward for information offered as investigators revisit scene of Dunmurry Police Station attack

    A REWARD of £20,000 is being offered by the charity Crimestoppers for information on a bomb attac...

  • Celebrating 50 years of the Jersey Irish Society

    THE Jersey Irish Society is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and co-chair Martina Wintour has co...

  • New lines of inquiry emerge in Joe Deacy investigation

    NEARLY nine years after the death of 21-year-old Joe Deacy, gardaí have identified new lines of i...

  • Boundary-pushing fashion designers showcase work at Titanic Belfast

    FASHION designers who are pushing boundaries in their field are showcasing their work at the icon...

May 10, 1869

The Transcontinental Railroad was completed. The first spikes were driven in 1863 during the Civil War, and over the following 6 year period, over 2,000 miles of track was laid entirely by hand over rugged terrain including the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Central Pacific Company built East from Sacramento, while the Union Pacific built West from Omaha, Nebraska. Both teams tried to beat the other’s record for track laying. The Central Pacific concocted a plan to lay 10 miles in a day. Eight Irish tracklayers put down 3,520 rails, while other workers laid 25,800 ties and drove 28,160 spikes in a single day. On May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah, a golden spike was hammered into the final tie.

Footer

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Give a Gift
  • Newsletter

Additional

  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Terms of Use & Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2026 · IrishAmerica Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in