On the recordJune 25, 2018
May 10, 1869, is one of the most significant dates that we have in American history because that is the date when a congressionally mandated provision to try to unite the two oceans on this continent Nation together actually came into being. The final spike that was put into this effort that was originated by Congress and, actually, oddly enough, Congress had to get them to stop going at different directions and come together at one point, took place in Promontory Summit in my State of Utah, in my district, about 30 miles from where I live. This is a prominent symbol of the most significant achievement we had in the 19th century. It is, for transportation, as significant as landing a man on the moon would be for the 20th century. Having the rail system go in there meant that some of my ancestors who had to walk every step across the plains, taking months to get to Utah, could now do it in 7 days on the new train that was going through there. This is one of those things that has the support of the National Park Service, which wants to make sure that some of the less visual parks are given the quality attention they deserve, to make them something that is important for the future history of this country. So it is not just going to be a park.…
