Local Speaker Series: Race without a Finish Line, A Story of the Building of the Transcontinental Railroad
May 16, 2023 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Event Details
Parkites and local history buffs Steve Leatham and David Nicholas explore the hurdles and hardships builders faced during the competition that built the Transcontinental Railroad.
The building of the transcontinental railroad was set up as a race without a finish line. The competition was fierce; the rules were few. Winning was what mattered most. The final leg of the race would be run in Utah. David Nicholas and Steve Leatham will explore the pre-race conditions in the country leading up to the start of the race. A particular focus will be placed on that section of the race between Humboldt Wells, Nevada and Wahsatch, Utah at the head of Echo Canyon.
The two will look at some of the hurdles and hardships the builders faced as they moved along the route. They will visit the duplication of efforts made in desperation to win the race. The contributions of local pioneers and thousands of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who made up the workforce in Utah will be recognized. Finally the extraordinary spoils of victory that went to the winners in the form of land grants and government bonds with be studied.
Both Steve and David write for the Park City Museum’s blog.
Read what Steve has written here: parkcityhistory.org/author/steve-leatham
Read what David has written here: parkcityhistory.org/author/david-nicholas
Date: May 16, 2023 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Venue
- Park City Library
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1255 Park Avenue
Park City, Utah 84060 + Google Map