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SALT LAKE CITY — A massive 43-foot golden spike statue hauled to the Utah State Capitol in October is set to go on tour again this spring before it returns to Utah for good.
And when it returns to Utah, its permanent home will be one of Utah's newest state monuments.
Members of the Utah House of Representatives voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve SCR6, a resolution creating the Golden Spike State Monument in Brigham City, after the Utah Senate voted unanimously to approve the bill on Tuesday. It now goes to Gov. Spencer Cox's desk for final approval.
"This monument creates an opportunity for us to reflect, as a state, on all the lives that were given to join the nation together after (the) Civil War," said Rep. Thomas Peterson, R-Brigham City, the bill's House floor sponsor, before the vote.
It just so happens that Cox signed HCR8 about an hour before SCR6's final vote, designating Butch Cassidy State Monument by the Garfield-Piute county line. Both monuments — to be managed by local leaders and the Utah Division of State Parks — aim to spotlight two completely different stories about state history.
Golden Spike monument
Utah's forthcoming Golden Spike State Monument will be located on about 8 acres of land in Brigham City near the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge visitor center and I-15.
Golden Spike Foundation and Brigham City officials worked together to obtain the land that will be the permanent home of a 43-foot golden spike replica statue that the foundation commissioned after the state's massive 2019 celebration of the transcontinental railroad's 150th anniversary.
The monument won't replace the Golden Spike National Historical Park in Promontory Summit, the site where the famous golden spike was driven to signal the completion of the railroad that linked the country; rather, Peterson said he hopes it'll inspire people to get off the freeway, view the statue and then take the 28-mile drive out to the historic site.
Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, the resolution's sponsor, explained that the monument would rest on land that was on the original grade of the railroad. Both the large statue and state monument would celebrate all of the stories behind the transcontinental railroad's creation, including the diverse group of people who did a vast majority of the actual labor.
The bill doesn't specifically outline funding, but state legislative financial analysts say it could cost the Utah Department of Community and Cultural Engagement $3.2 million to implement the monument.
Meanwhile, Doug Foxley, chairman of the Golden Spike Foundation, said the monument will be the group's last act before officially dissolving. The foundation is planning one last celebration in the near future with the monument.
"It's been quite a ride," he said. "We're going to have a heckuva party ... so just get ready."
Butch Cassidy monument
While Cox has yet to sign SCR6, he did sign HCR8 on Wednesday after the Utah Legislature approved the bill earlier in the month. That resolution designates a structure believed to be a childhood home of notorious outlaw Butch Cassidy as the Butch Cassidy State Monument.
Garfield and Piute county leaders previously approved resolutions to preserve and maintain the facility in a land lease agreement with the land's private owner that the state recognizes with the monument.
Cassidy, whose real name was Robert LeRoy Parker, was born in Beaver in 1866 before his family moved to the land southwest of Circleville. He would later go on to become one of the most well-known outlaws in the West, robbing trains and banks — though some view his actions as standing up for the small businesses that got pushed out by larger ones.
No matter how people view Butch Cassidy, he'll always be one of Utah's more memorable figures, said Rep. Steven Lund, R-Manti, as the bill got debated earlier this year. Turning the site into a monument may help people learn the story.
"Whether you think he's a villain or a Robin Hood, he's definitely a colorful character for our state," he said.
