Golden Spike Anniversary

[/media-credit] Photo by Andrew J. Russell, May 10, 1869

May 10, 2015, is the one hundred forty-sixth anniversary of the driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit, Utah, commemorating the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. This event signified the joining of the west coast to the east coast of the United States making it possible to travel rapidly across the expanding nation. Travel by rail opened vast parts of the country to easy settlement by whites, blacks, and Orientals, while at the same time it destroyed the traditional way of life of the Native Americans.

My trilogy, The Iron Horse Chronicles, follows the quest of Will Braddock, entertaining readers with a fast-paced, frontier adventure story while educating them about the history of the construction of the first transcontinental railroad. Eagle Talons, the first book in the trilogy, is available at Barnes & Noble and other bookstores, in libraries, and on Amazon.com. Bear Claws, the second book, is available for pre-order from Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Every five to six weeks I write a post for Mad About MG History. This new website is devoted to providing information to teachers and librarians involved in helping the middle grade student understand and appreciate history. The posts that have appeared are of interest to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction. My latest post appeared on May 7. I invite you to go to this link to view that post: http://madaboutmghistory.blogspot.com/.