depot history
Catalyst for Growth
The original Union Depot was built in St. Paul in 1881 and soon transformed the capital city into a center of transit and commerce for the state and region.
"The rise of the railroads after the Civil War made Ramsey County and St. Paul the transportation center of the Upper Midwest and the gateway to the Northwest," according to the Ramsey County Historical Society. "It is almost impossible to exaggerate the railroad's impact on the 19th century city and county. Toward the end of the century, an enormous network of rails linked St. Paul with Chicago and the Pacific. 'Empire Builder' James J. Hill had reorganized the St. Paul, Manitoba and Pacific Railroads into the Great Northern and acquired operating control of the bankrupt Northern Pacific. In addition, at least ten other lines were serving the region. Some eight million people passed through St. Paul's Union Depot in 1888, a peak year, with 150 trains arriving and departing daily."
The original depot was destroyed by fire in 1915. Contruction of the replacement depot began two years later, but the United States' entry into WWI delayed its completion until 1923.
The replacement Union Depot provided passenger and freight railroad service for both the Twin Cities and the state of Minnesota for most of the next five decades. Located in downtown St. Paul on the north banks of the Mississippi River, Minnesota's Union Depot is a complex of buildings that served some 282 trains and 20,000 passengers daily.
The Headhouse, or the lobby portion of the Depot complex facing St. Paul's 4th Street, is now in private hands and houses restaurants, offices and condos. Beyond the Headhouse is a 45-foot-wide entrance passage that was built as a bridge over Kellogg Boulevard to connect to the concourse, which provided access to railroad platforms. At one time, there were 18 railroad tracks serving the Union Depot.
Amtrak moved its passenger station to St. Paul's Midway neighborhood in 1971. After passenger rail service was discontinued to the Depot, sections of the Depot complex were sold to various entities. This includes part of the bridge over Kellogg, the concourse, and land near the concourse which were sold to the Postal Service for truck circulation and bulk mail handling.
The Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority board voted to purchase the Depot concourse and adjacent land from the Postal Service in 2007. The Rail Authority plans to refurbish the Depot and return it to use as a modern multimodal transit hub for the region.
Photos on this page courtesy Ramsey County Historical Society
For a gallery of historical photos from the Minnesota Historical Society archives, click here
This page last updated
Friday, October 3, 2008 5:18 PM