One of the indelible images from Utah history is that day when the transcontinental railroad was completed. Mention the driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit and you can almost see that photo of the two locomotives, the workers and the handshake.
But not many people know a whole lot about the events that led up to that moment — a lack that documentary filmmaker Ken Verdoia and KUED ably rectify in "Promontory," which premieres Tuesday at 9 p.m. on Ch. 7.
This excellent hour delves into the story behind the image. The story of how LDS Church President Brigham Young actively promoted the railroad's completion, seeing it as a boon to his territory — and how others questioned the wisdom of letting the rest of the world intrude.
(There are some fascinating parallels to the 2002 Winter Olympics.)
The documentary retells the tale of the rivalry/partnership between the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads to complete the transcontinental line. But while this was a story of national importance, "Promontory" tells much of it from a Utah perspective. By researching the archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Verdoia and his team discovered stunning correspondence between Young and the railroad tycoons who essentially lied to and swindled the church leader.
The agreements and debts that the railroads refused to honor had a lasting effect on both the church and the Utah territory. But "Promontory" isn't really about religion, it's about 19th-century business practices.
And it's about how Utah developed into what it is today. How the railroad provided easier access to what had been an isolated area and, in turn, made the Mormon settlers an easier target for persecution.
While the rails made for an easy road for LDS immigrants, they also brought a large non-Mormon population. And, with isolation ended, the conflicts between the church and the federal government intensified.
The fact that the documentary style employed in "Promontory" is now familiar — period photographs, actors (and others) reading letters and documents of the time in the "voices" of the principals — doesn't make it any less effective.
This is great stuff.
E-MAIL: pierce@desnews.com