Participants drive in the Gold Spike at the White Lake Depot Museum. |
'Golden Spike' ceremony at White Lake May 27, 2009 The White Lake Area Historical Society recalled the days of yesteryear while dedicating an impressive new exhibit at “Gold Spike Day” Saturday.
The event, which included the dedication of the new Pede House and railroad track drew a good crowd to the Depot Museum, a community landmark.
The American Legion Post in White Lake provided a color guard while sixth graders from the White Lake School sang the Star-Spangled Banner.
Society President George Rock welcomed everyone, noting that this "gold spike" event was 140 years and 13 days after the first gold spike ceremony in Utah, when the nation's first transcontinental railroad was completed from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast.
Helen Sanvidge, former White Lake resident and longtime president and society member, recapped the historical society and depot history. Judy Peterson reviewed the history of the rail and pede project as well as introduced honored guests Roger Breske, Wisconsin Railroad commissioner, Senator Jim Holperin and Assemblyman Jeff Mursau. Each welcomed the crowd to the event.
As part of the ceremony, the sixth grade students sang the American folk song, "I've been working on the Railroad" with the audience joining in.
The dedication plaque was read by former president, James Kenneth Peters. The permanent plaque was placed next to the boardwalk along with a bench from the Conn family.
Dave Peterson called up several retired railroad workers to drive in the "gold spikes.’’ Oran Whitt and Max Budd from White Lake and Don Peterson and Lawrence Ingram from Antigo each took their turn.
Whitt recounted several railroad stories that only longtime railroad men can tell. He spoke of the summer that he walked over 800 miles inspecting rail from Neenah to Argonne, from Sault Saint Marie to Superior and up to the Keweenaw Peninsula to Calumet and Lake Linden. He told of a fellow worker, Forrest Meeks, who was able to drive a spike with one swing where the rest of the workers needed to take two to four swings.
Others in the audience came up to tap in a gold spike in memory of a great-grandfather, a grandfather, uncle or another railroad worker. The great, great-grandsons of Arthur Clay from Hollister were the youngest family member to participate.
The event concluded with another patriot song by the sixth graders and a prayer by Sister Marie Andre SSND from St. James Parish in White Lake.
|
|
|
