The Denver and Rio Grande Depot, constructed in 1910, owed its existence to a boom in transportation and industry.
In the early 1900s, Salt Lake City was establishing its place as the "Crossroads of the West" as more people and goods passed through on their way to other destinations, as well as came to stay.
The city was thriving and growing. Since the turn of that century, the population of Salt Lake City had nearly doubled, going from 53,000 to 92,000. Several large hotels had been built or were under construction; several large commercial buildings were changing the look of downtown.
In those days, the railroad was king — the preferred method of travel and transport. And despite the fact that a new Union Pacific Depot had been completed just a year before and just a few blocks away, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, headquartered in Denver, saw great potential in expanding into Utah and into the passenger trade.
The Denver and Rio Grande Depot owes its style to that competitive atmosphere — and to Chicago-based architect Henry S. Schlachs, who was given a mandate by D&RGW's George Gould to create a "crown jewel," to make it bigger and better than the depot built by Union Pacific's E.H. Harriman (the two men were fierce rivals).
The depot was built for $750,000 (compared with UP's $300,000), and Schlachs combined several classical styles, including Renaissance Revival and Beaux Arts Classicism, to create an elegant and refined presence.
One of the striking features was the large, beautifully arched windows that contained green opaque glass. There was also "an exuberance of detail," including egg-and-dart molding, brackets and cartouches and a coffered ceiling.
It was, and is, a grand building, says Philip F. Notarianni, director of the Utah Division of State History, which now occupies the building.
The fact that they are there, that the Rio Grande Depot is still in existence and being used, owes itself to a little luck and a lot of foresight.
The Golden Age of Railroad came and went; some four decades after the depot was built, air and auto travel had nearly cornered the market on passengers. By the 1960s, D&RGW was down to one passenger train, the California Zephyr, which went from Salt Lake to Denver. There was still the business of freight, particularly shipping coal from Utah's mining communities, but the depot was used less and less; repairs were not kept up; and it came very close to being torn down. Instead, in 1977, the company decided to sell it to the state of Utah for $1.
About that time, the Division of State History was looking for a new home. It had been housed in the Kearns Mansion, but that building was then being turned back into a Governor's Mansion. After extensive restoration and some remodeling, the Division of State History moved in.
"It's a perfect fit for us," says Notarianni. "We are all about historic preservation, so to be in one of Salt Lake's significant buildings that has been preserved and adapted for new use is very exciting."
For a time, the depot was still used as an Amtrak station, until that was moved farther west. The Rio Grande building now also houses the Research Center of State History and State Archives, the Visual and Public Art programs, Rio Gallery of the Division of Arts and Museums and the Rio Grande Cafe.
"There has always been a cafe at the northern end," says Notarianni, "so that fits well. This is a wonderful building, and the fact that it has been saved is very significant."
In honor of the building's centennial, the Division of State History has planned several events. There is currently an exhibit, which will run through Saturday, featuring artifacts and displays from its railroad days. The depot will also figure prominently in this year's State History Conference.
And, says Notarianni, "we were able to get private donations to do an evening light show for a month." If you drive by or visit at night, you will see the building under a variety of changing lights and colors. That will last until about Sept. 18.
This celebration "is a chance for people to revisit some of this building's stories," says Notarianni. "The Rio Grande Depot played a large role in Utah and in people's lives."
For many immigrants, the depot was the arrival point; and, in fact, several ethnic neighborhoods grew up in areas close to the depot, he says. Greeks, Italians, Japanese and Armenians all created nearby enclaves.
The depot also figured into the lives of a lot of military men. "A lot of soldiers departed for both World War I and World War II. A lot of them returned to their loved ones here," says Notarianni. "So a lot of the comings and goings relate to the service."
Business people also traveled through here, as did tourists and other visitors. "The depot was the airport of its day," says Notarianni.
A lot of the artifacts in the exhibit relate to those activities. There are soldiers' uniforms, a traveling salesman's trunk, train schedules and more.
A sign from the war years notifies travelers that "prompt movement of armed forces is a responsibility Rio Grande gladly assumes. If we cannot supply you the Pullman or coach space you desire, or if your train runs behind schedule, please understand that you are being inconvenienced so that Uncle Sam's men and material may get where they'll do the most good RIGHT NOW."
A display of fancy hats is a reminder that travel was once elegant business. "People used to dress up to travel," says Notarianni, "unlike nowadays, when anything goes."
There are some original benches from the waiting rooms. Slightly different tiles on the floor mark where there were once huge radiators to keep the building warm. Old photographs, many from the Shipler collection, show the construction of the building and its later use. A menu from the early 1940s offers Top Sirloin for 90 cents, and Tuna Salad for 30 cents.
There's also a register, and a place on the website, where people can share their own connections to the building. "My husband worked for the Denver & Rio Grande. He was the traveling auditor …" says one. "My aunt and uncle and my father worked at the coffee shop. …" "My father worked for the D&RG from 1928 until 1970. He worked in the signal dept. …"
The objects trigger stories, and the stories capture the life of the building, says Notarianni. "You have to understand the development of the city, where people were going and coming, what things have changed and what have stayed the same, to really understand the history of the building." And by understanding the history of this building, he says, you will understand more about who we are.
e-mail: carma@desnews.com