Boise Union Pacific Depot

The Boise Depot is a former train station in the western United States, located in Boise, Idaho. Opened 96 years ago in 1925, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). At an elevation of 2,757 feet (840 m) above sea level on the rim of the first bench, the depot overlooks Capitol Boulevard and the Idaho State Capitol, a mile (1.6 km) northeast.

Boise Depot
Former Amtrak & Union Pacific inter-city rail station
View from northeast in 2006
Location2603 West Eastover Terrace
Boise, Idaho [1]
United States
Owned byCity of Boise
Line(s)None
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks1
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Station codeBOI (Amtrak)
History
OpenedApril 16, 1925 (1925-04-16)[2]
ClosedMay 1997
(for passenger rail service)
Rebuilt1993 (renovation)
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Nampa
toward Seattle
 Pioneer Shoshone
1981–1997
toward Chicago
Mountain Home
1977–1981
toward Chicago
Preceding station Union Pacific Railroad Following station
Perkins
toward Portland
 Portland – Granger Hillcrest
toward Granger
Union Pacific Mainline Depot
Coordinates43.602°N 116.2147°W / 43.602; -116.2147
Area8.7 acres (3.5 ha)
Built1925 (1925)
ArchitectCherdron Construction Company,
Carrere, Hastings, Shreve & Lamb
Architectural styleSpanish Colonial
NRHP reference No.74000730[3][4]
Added to NRHPAugust 7, 1974

History

The depot was built in 1925 by the Union Pacific Railroad, and service by its Portland Rose began with service between Chicago, Illinois, and Portland, Oregon.[5] Thousands attended its debut with mainline service in mid-April, including Union Pacific president Carl Gray, granted a key to the city by Mayor Eugene Sherman.[2][6]

The UP's City of Portland also Chicago to Portland, for several decades made stops in Boise.[7] Union Pacific discontinued the Portland Rose and the City of Portland (along with all its passenger rail service) on May 1, 1971, the day Amtrak began operating.[5][8][9][10]

Six years later, Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) resumed passenger service to the station in 1977 with the Pioneer,[11][12] Initially run between Salt Lake City, Utah, and Seattle, Washington, it was later extended further east and provided daily service from Chicago to Seattle. The next eastbound stop on the Pioneer was originally in Mountain Home,[12] but that station was dropped in 1981,[13] so the next eastbound stop was Shoshone; the next westbound stop was Nampa.[12]

Forty-nine years after its debut, the Boise Depot was listed on the NRHP on August 7, 1974, as the Union Pacific Mainline Depot.[14] The last passenger train to use the depot was the Pioneer, which ended service 24 years ago in 1997.[10][15]

In 1990, Boise-based Morrison–Knudsen Corporation (MK) purchased the depot and renovated it to pristine condition. The City of Boise took it over in 1996 and opened it for tours and special events; it is open to the public Sundays and Mondays from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

See also

References
  1. Boise Depot - City of Boise
  2. "Celebrate U.P reaching Boise". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). April 21, 1925. p. 6.
  3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  4. "National Register of Historic Places: State Listing (Idaho)". nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com. American Dreams Inc. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  5. "Union Pacific Passenger Trains". www.up.com. Union Pacific Railroad. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  6. "U.P. trail is direct to Utah". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). April 15, 1925. p. 8.
  7. Union Pacific timetable, September 7, 1969, Table 20 http://streamlinermemories.info/UP/UP69-9TT.pdf
  8. "Last court test fails to clear Amtrak rails". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. May 1, 1971. p. 1.
  9. "Small crowd witnesses last train leave Boise". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. May 3, 1971. p. 5.
  10. "History of Boise Depot" (PDF). cityofboise.org. City of Boise. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  11. Smith, Tamera (June 7, 1977). "Amtrak Pioneer rolls into S.L." Deseret News. p. B1.
  12. Amtrak (June 22, 1977). "Amtrak National Train Timetables". timetables.org. Museum of Railway Timetables. p. 54. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  13. Amtrak (April 26, 1981). "Amtrak National Train Timetables". timetables.org. Museum of Railway Timetables. p. 44. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  14. "National Register of Historic Places - NPS Focus". United States National Park Service. Retrieved October 27, 2009.
  15. Van Eyck, Zack (May 10, 1997). "A classic rides the rails one last time". Deseret News. p. A1.
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