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“Driving of the Spike” Monument tour kicks off in Lexington

This monument is dedicated to the tens of thousands of workers who built the transcontinental railroad.

October 5, 2023 • 
Emily Shea-Owen
The “Driving of the Spike” Monument in Lexington, KY.

The Golden Spike Monument was commissioned by the Golden Spike Foundation.

Photo by LEXtoday

Table of Contents
About the monument
About the tour

If you saw a 43-ft-tall golden spike make it’s way through Lexington yesterday, it wasn’t your imagination. The Golden Spike was in town for the kickoff celebration of the “Driving of the Spike” Monument tour at Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate.

About the monument

The Golden Spike — a larger version of the spikes used to “mark the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869" — was created by Kentucky artist Douwe Blumberg over the course of 28 months. The piece is intended to honor the tens of thousands of workers who built the transcontinental railroad.

About the tour

The tour aims to spread awareness about the hard work of the transcontinental railroad workers + will take place throughout the month of October. Stops include St. Louis, MO; Golden, CO; and Cheyenne, WY; the tour will end in Salt Lake City, UT on Tuesday, Oct. 24.

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