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BRIGHAM CITY, Utah (AP) -- Golden Spike National Historic Site officials propose transplanting and repairing the 10-foot 1916 Southern Pacific monument.
"The monument is now kind of off on its own," said Mary Risser, superintendent of the site 35 miles west of Brigham City where the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869. "We're hoping that when we move it, it will become the focal point of the courtyard, that it will get a lot more attention from the visitors."
The plan calls for moving the monument to a more prominent spot about 200 yards away. The plans include paving the courtyard, landscaping the area and adding shaded areas for picnicking.
Nearly a century of weather, insufficient maintenance and vandalism have taken a toll on the concrete obelisk, Risser said.
Many cracks have formed and the patches covering bullet holes are crumbling, she said.
The project will cost about $20,000 and is expected to be funded mainly by donations.
The Friends of Golden Spike donated $7,000.
"The monument has a real special place in everyone's heart," Risser said. "For years and years and years it was the only thing that was here to commemorate the completion of the transcontinental railroad."
Risser plans to accept comment on the plan until Feb. 5 and work should start when the snow melts. Completion is expected by May 10.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
