ni nih was on “On February 13, 1923 the telephone operator of the Ogden Union Station, Fannie McCarty, repor. . . waiter or porter a be. to believed man a when office duty in her second floor switchboard city fire ted a fire in one of the hotel rooms. This was at about 7 p.m. Within a few minutes the of the department was at the scene, but fire had engulfed a good portion of the southern end the station by the time the firemen got there. Helped by a light breeze, the flames spread from redwood burning . . . room waiting main the in stand check the above southern end to the rooms later flooring and painted woodwork . . . the clock tower of the depot caught fire . . . a few minutes and tower blazing the through ripped holdings, the from loose broke mechanism the heavy clock crashed to the ground causing sparks to fly high in the air,” said Dr. Roberts. The fire department fought the fire with all of its crews and reserve forces until 2:30 a.m. when the fire was brought unno loss der control... records and furniture were saved . . . trains moved out on time . . . there was at fixed was equipment and building the to fire the of loss total the but injuries, of life or re ce@ities sentotea'ly Jen cifond ight # The a pogsiin- a it wat or >t for ears f theiyond $100,000.” iter, Quire, “The cause of the fire was never determined . . . but evidence seemed to point to... an iron used to press pants of an employee in a room of the third floor of the station.” ers: airs of mounrpond rinangeold vell-tqelers Frencpand served “The citizens of Ogden did not mourn the loss of the 36 year old station .. . they felt it had replaced. be now would and . . . ‘beyond the days of its real usefulness o< Nevnd or t carphimen (6) onpoy to Fo#our years the station symbolized good and prosperous tithe people of Ogden. "During those years Ogden made ‘surges ahead economically and culturally, and it dtobe... “the largest railway center in the West.” Jomything was happy, however, there were severe Strecessions, labor nalexperiences were io i 7 LS) unrest and reflected World at the War |. . Depot, . these said Dr. The Union Pacific and Southern Pacific Presidents did decide in favor of a new station. Plans were drawn by John and Donald Parkinson, a Los Angeles architectural firm who had designed over 200 major buildings in the western United States by 1940. The new Union Station was constructed on the site of the old station in 1924 and still stands today. Its architectural design is Italian Renaissance of the style which flourished in the 15th Century in Europe. The waiting room has a ceiling height of 56 feet, supported by six wooden trusses made from Oregon or Douglas Fir. Roofing was Cordova Spanish tile and a pink buff brick produced in Ogden and faced with Bosie sandstone was used. The two main entrances on the east of the building are carved Boise sandstone. The designs in the sandstone are of “fruits, featuring mostly clusters of grapes. Over each entrance door is a carved buffalo. Ceremonies opening the new station were not as elaborate as those of 1889. (Continued on page 8)