Alaska’s golden railroad spike back home after 100 years
The City of Nenana and the Anchorage Museum bring home the gold
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A historic solid gold railroad spike is now on display at the Anchorage Museum.
The golden spike was used by President Warren Harding in a ceremony on July 15, 1923, in the City of Nenana, marking the completion of the Alaska Railroad.
The city of Anchorage had the spike made by the Mayer Brother Jewelers in Seattle. It was a “thank you” gift to Col. Frederick Mears, an engineer on the construction of the Alaska Railroad from 1915 to 1923.
Since 1923, the spike was privately owned — until it came up for auction this past January.
To raise the funds to bring the piece of Alaska history home, the Anchorage Museum partnered with the city of Nenana. With the help of the Alaska Railroad and a group of private donors, enough money was raised to win the auction.
Including additional fees and costs, the winning bid was roughly $200,000.
Now back in Alaska, the spike will eventually be displayed in two locations; splitting the year in Nenana in the summers and Anchorage in the winters.
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