The spike is inscribed, "Presented to Col. Frederick Mears by the city of Anchorage in commemoration of the building of the Alaska Railroad 1915-1923." Anchorage MuseumOn July 15, 1923, President Warren Harding hammered a golden spike into train tracks in central Alaska. It was the ceremonial final piece of the Alaska Railroad, whichconnected inner Alaska to the coastal city of Seward, sparking the resource-rich states industrial development.For about a century, the 14-karat gold spike has been in the hands of private owners outside Alaska. But now, its coming home. Last week, theAnchorage Museum and the city ofNenananear the spot where Harding hammered the spike in 1923worked together to purchase the artifact, per astatement from the museum.The spikes first owner was Colonel Frederick Mears, the railroads chief engineer. Earlier in 1923, the city of Anchorage presented it to Mears to commemorate his role in the projects completion, and he had loaned it to the city for the presidential hammering. Congress funded the construction of the Alaska Railroad, which was completed in 1923. Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsIn the years that followed, the golden spike changed hands several times. The last of those owners, who bought it in 1983, recently decided to sell it through auction houseChristies. Although specialists expected the artifact to fetch up to $50,000, the city and the museum ended up paying more than $200,000.The spike will now be put on display in its home state. Anchorage and Nenana will likely take turns displaying the object, reports the Associated Press Mark Thiessen.I think its a neat story of an urban and a rural communityboth along the rail beltcoming together for a worthy cause, says Joshua Verhagen, Nenanas mayor, in the statement. I look forward to working together and tying our communities together once again with this same golden spike.Harding hammered the golden spike into a bridge in Nenana now known as theMears Memorial Bridge. The ambitious single-span trestle bridge over the Tanana River closed the Alaska Railroads final gap, per the museum. Hardings ceremonial contribution marked both the first time a U.S. president had visited Alaskawhich wouldnt become a state until1959and the only time a sitting president has hammered a railroad spike. (Hemissed twice and hit it home on the third try.) Unfortunately, Hardings journey would be his last: Hedied of a probable heart attack later that year. Harding hammered the spike at the Mears Memorial Bridge, which spans the Tanana River. Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsThe Alaska Railroad began as a private line in the early 1900s, extending some 50 miles north of Seward. About a decade later, the federal government expressed interest in developing the railway to expand Alaskan mining operations. Congress spent $35 million on the project, which would span some 500 miles. In 1985, the government sold the railroad to the state of Alaska for $22 million.In late 2024, Monica Shah, the Anchorage Museums deputy director of collections and conservation, heard some rumblings that a rare, long-hidden piece of Alaskan history had become a centerpiece of Christies upcomingAmericana Week sale, as she tellsArtnets Eileen Kinsella.The golden spike had been briefly exhibited in Fairbanks in 1967 and Anchorage in 2001. Other than that, it had remained mostly inaccessible to the public. Per the museum, the Christies auctionthe spikes first public sale in more than 40 yearswas a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure it for the people of Alaska.We are thrilled to partner with Nenana to share this piece of history with the public, says Julie Decker, the Anchorage Museums director, in the statement. The golden spike is a great piece of storytelling about place and people.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Alaska, American History, American Presidents, Artifacts, Auctions, Gold, Government, Government Leaders, History, Trains, Warren G. Harding