Canadian Pacific Railway 1185 Last Spike, Craigellachie BC Canada

Located 25 kilometres east of Sicamous, 45 km west of Revelstoke, British Columbia, the 'Last Spike' National Historic Site commemorates the 1885 completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway with the linking of railheads from west and east. This project by the Dominion of Canada was a significant condition in British Columbia's 1871 entry into the nascent (1867) confederation, and Prime Minister John A. Macdonald’s commitment to construct a transcontinental railway. The ambitious project was the fledgling nation's 'national dream', as Canadian author Pierre Berton described it in his two volume history. In addition to the monument, the site features a railway station, caboose, seasonal gift shop, picnic area and restrooms. Texts from the historic site's signage follows below. Eagle Pass "While exploring these mountains in the summer of 1865, Walter Moberly, assistant-general surveyor of British Columbia, noted the flight of eagles through a break in the Gold Range (Monashees), thereby Eagle Pass. After 1881, Eagle Pass was chosen as the Canadian Pacific Railway's route between the drainage basins of the Columbia and Fraser rivers. This was one of the last stretches of the railway to be completed, and on 7 November 1885, Sir Donald Smith drove the "last spike" here, in the pass, at Craigellachie." (Historic Sites and Monument Board of Canada, Government of Canada) The Last Spike "A nebulous dream was a reality: an iron ribbon crossed Canada from sea to sea. Often following the footsteps of early explorers, nearly 3000 miles of steel rail pushed across vast prairies, cleft mountain passes, twisted through canyons, and bridged a thousand streams. Here on Nov. 7, 1887, a plain iron spike welded East to West." (British Columbia Department of Recreation and Conservation) A Special Moment in Canada's History "It was an ordinary enough sliver of iron; one of the countless millions hammered home since the Canadian Pacific Railway was founded in 1881. Yet, with the swing of a spike maul by the Honourable Donald Alexander Smith at Craigellachie, B.C., on November 7, 1885, that single spike instantly became an important historical symbol. Not only did it represent the completion of the trans-continental railway, but it also meant an important step in the founding of a nation. "the story of the Last Spike began with the incorporation of Canadian Pacific on February 16, 1881. Under the original charter, the company was to construct a main line that would cross the Rocky Mountains by way of the Yellowhead Pass, the route now used by Canadian National. However, the company's founders believed a more direct route should be found to the south, through the Rocky and Selkirk mountain ranges. "Canadian Pacific hired Major Albert Rogers, an American military-turned-civil engineer, to find a route through the mountains. Rogers and his survey crew approached the Selkirk range from the west and followed the Columbia River to the site of what is now Revelstoke. Then they followed the Illecillewaet River until they reached the foot of the Illecillewaet Glacier. On May 29, 1881, from a mountain-top vantage point, Rogers discovered the pass that would later bear his name. During the 1882 construction period, Rogers located the eastern approach to the pass by way of the Beaver River valley. But the hardest work, building the railway, was yet to come. Construction of the railhead, advancing from the east, reached the foot of the Selkirks at Beavermouth, 103 kilometres east of Revelstoke, by the end of the 1884 construction period. The season saw the completion from the west at Eagle Pass. The eastern construction forces, however, were still about 70 kilometres away, about eight kilometres west of Albert Canyon. "The track from the east reached the Columbia River at Revelstoke on October 8, 1885. By November 5, just six kilometres separated the two lines. On the afternoon of November 6 the tracklayers from the east came within sight of the railhead from the west. The next morning, a special train carrying company officers, family and friends arrived at the sight as the final lengths of rail were being laid to complete the connection. "Shortly after 9 a.m., on a rainy November 7, the official photographer, Alexander Ross of Winnipeg, set up his tripod and camera. Donald Smith took his place with a spike maul and the bystanders gathered around. Major Rogers held the tie against the rail with a bar while Frank Brothers, a foreman tracklayer, placed the spike into position. Not being an accomplished tracklayer, Smith's first attempt to drive the spike was unsuccessful. His glancing blow bent the spike and it had to be replaced. His second attempt, however, was accurate and the Last Spike was driven home. There was a moment's pause, then the crowd burst into spontaneous cheers. Called upon to make a speech, the company's general manger, William Cornelius Van Horne summed up the historic event in just fifteen words; "All I can say is that the work has been well done in every way."" The Last Spike "There are as many as four last spikes associated with the event that saw the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885. Various stories have circulated regarding the whereabouts of these spikes today and their actual location has been up for debate. There is a ceremonial silver spike that did not arrive to the site for the occasion but now resides in the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec. The simple iron spike that was bent by Donald Smith's first failed attempt was used to make small brooches for the wives of the CPR directors. The second plain iron spike, that was driven in properly, was removed, and is said to have been made into a carving knife and is in private hands. Another plain iron spike was used to make additional pieces of jewellery and is said to be slightly larger than the others. A pike that has had pieces removed to create the jewellery mentioned has been housed in the Canadian Science and Technology Museum, in Ottawa, Ontario. 'Many track changes and gauge upgrades make it difficult to determine exactly where the spike was driven, but tradition suggests it was close to where the monument stands today." (validated by the National Dream Legacy Society November 12, 2016)

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