The Northern Pacific Railroad Completion Site

The Record of the Week for the first week of September focuses on the completion site of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The completion of the railroad was commemorated by driving a golden spike near Gold Creek in Montana.

The railway began construction in 1870 and was completed in September of 1883 and extended from Minnesota to Washington utilizing nearly 7000 miles of track. The NPRR was an important piece of infrastructure serving as the main artery connecting the eastern and western halves of the United States.

Though ultimately considered a success, the construction of the NPRR suffered a few major setbacks along the way. Probably the most significant issue surrounding construction was the railroad's bankruptcy in 1873, which not only nearly ended operations but caused the United States to fall into a short economic depression.

The Pacific Railway Act of 1862 encouraged the construction of a transcontinental railroad by offering land to the rail companies. This land was distributed through patents issued by the General Land Office under the direction of Theodore Roosevelt as "Northern Pacific Railway Lands."

The completion site being near Gold Creek in Montana is significant due to the area's unlikely contribution to the railroad's success. On the map above there is a U.S. military road, Mullan Road, to the west of the completion site. This road was constructed between 1859 and 1861, and was meant to serve as a military route through the Rocky Mountains, however, due to a gold rush in the region it became a popular traveling route for civilians seeking their fortune. The success of the road helped to convince Congress of the need for what would eventually become the Northern Pacific Railroad.