According to a note attached to the railroad spike, "John Wesley Carroll was one of the train crew aboard the Denver-Pacific when it reached Denver, June 24th, 1870. Following the civic celebration each member of the train crew was presented a railroad spike. Mr. Carroll later transfered to the new rail line punching into Colorado - the Denver and Rio Grande. He remained in their employ, as a conductor, until his death in Salida in 1921."