By Sally H.N. Wright

May 10 is the 131st anniversary of the driving of the golden spike in the Union Pacific Railroad tracks that made East meet West, and Delone Glover, curator of the Brigham City Historic Train Depot, is ready to celebrate.

"This building is the love of my life," she says, referring to the restored depot on West Forest Street in Brigham City. "It's my castle." Glover is a member of the Golden Spike Association, which owns the depot, but it has been through her work that the town celebrates the spike-driving anniversary every year.

This year, Golden Spike Week begins on May 5, when the actual golden spike will make a much-anticipated visit to the depot. A reception in the depot's art gallery is planned, along with a presentation by Nathan Mazer. Mazer was chairman of the Golden Spike Association in 1969, when the centennial anniversary was celebrated.

The Golden Spike Grande Ball will be 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. May 6 at Young Intermediate School. Glover says the price of $10 per couple is a real deal, and a Glenn Miller band from Utah State University is expected to perform.

Presentations for elementary school students and a lecture at the Brigham City Library from a member of the Utah Historical Society are also in the works, but the annual crowd-pleaser is the reenactment of the driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit.

"This is the 49th year we've done a re-enactment," said Glover, "and we have a few devoted people who've been helping with it that long."

While much of the depot's historical appeal has been restored already, Glover insists there is much left to be done. Members of the Golden Spike Association plan to restore the upstairs loft to house a historical library with educational media like videos.

"Union Pacific donated a caboose in 1998, so restoring that will be our big project this summer," she said. "This is such a beautiful building, with such a lot of heritage and a special place in my heart."

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