Wednesday in Wyoming - September 2, 2020

 

Imagine yourself a traveler arriving by train in Cheyenne in 1884. Would you have been impressed with this depot? I don't think so, and neither did the powers that be in Cheyenne. That's why they lobbied for a new depot.

The Union Pacific agreed to construct a new, decidedly more impressive one. 

Even though there's no longer passenger rail service to Cheyenne, the depot continues to welcome visitors. It's now a visitor center and the home of the Depot Museum, which is where I found the first photo ... and the others I'm planning to feature in this month's Wednesday in Wyoming posts.

Wednesday in Wyoming - March 18, 2020

What's more fitting to decorate the exterior of a railroad depot than a stone with a bas relief of a train engine?

As you've probably guessed, since this month's posts have focused on Cheyenne's Union Pacific depot, that's where you'll find this stone.

Wednesday in Wyoming - March 11, 2020

Last week, I mentioned that the Union Pacific depot now houses a museum. And it does. Part of the museum is located in the original depot building; the rest is in a recently constructed building that's attached to the western end of the depot itself.

With a combination of static exhibits and videos, the museum traces the history of both the depot itself and the railroad. So, what are those strange symbols and why are they in this post, you may be asking.

They're signs hobos used to help others who traveled along the rails, hiding in boxcars as they moved from one destination to another.

Wednesday in Wyoming - March 4, 2020

One thing visitors to Cheyenne can't miss is this, the Union Pacific depot. With its combination of red and white sandstone and its Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, it's one of the dominant landmarks in the city that owes its existence to the railroad.

This wasn't the first depot, however. The original one, a modest wooden structure, was deemed unsuitable as the city changed from a rough town sometimes called "Hell on Wheels" to the territory's capital, and so construction began on this decidedly more opulent building.

Even now, although Cheyenne no longer has any passenger train traffic and the building has been converted to a restaurant, visitor's center, and museum, the depot is still an important part of the city. 

During the summer, concerts and a farmer's market take place in the square in front of the building, and an ice skating rink provides winter fun for many. And through every season, it's a beautiful reminder of Cheyenne's origins.