Manhattan's Union Pacific Depot - Revived
The Beginnings of Business
Construction of the Union Pacific depot began the first week of August, 1901; seventy years later, the last passenger train pulled out of the station. In 1993 a community effort to preserve the depot began to take shape, and a year later the Manhattan/Riley County Preservation Alliance was formed with the depot renovation as one of its main goals.
Restoration occurred in three phases - over an eleven-year timespan - culminating with the dedication of the restored facility in the summer of 2006.
The depot is now available for public use by contacting the Manhattan Parks and Rec offices at: 785.587.2757
[Photo captions, from top to bottom, read]
The Manhattan Union Pacific Depot is a survivor. Waters from the flood of 1951 were over six feet deep in the building, with the fast-moving current gouging a large hole in the platform. A fire in 1981 did significant damage to the roof, and from the mid 1980s until the restoration stood as an empty shell with no apparent use.
Roosevelt Visits Manhattan
A visit from the president was unquestionably the highlight of 1903 for Manhattan residents. Theodore Roosevelt had been in office roughly 20 months when his whistle-stop tour arrived here before the 1904 election.
Mahattan Celebrates the Dedication
President Roosevelt's visit is
this page online
Tower Illustration: The Depot's Crown Restored
The signature piece of the restored depot is the tower. Phase Three of restoration included a total reconstruction of the tower that had been removed in a 1938 remodel.
Credits:
Riley County Historical Society
Michael Mecseri
Bruce McMillan AIA Architects, P.A.
Erected by City of Manhattan.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #26 Theodore Roosevelt series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1901.
Location. 39° 10.507′ N, 96° 33.61′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, Kansas, in Riley County. Marker is at the intersection of 3rd Street and Blue Earth Place, on the left when traveling south on 3rd Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 410 South 3rd Street, Manhattan KS 66502, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Change & Growth (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Yuma Street (about 500 feet away); Colorado Street (about 700 feet away); The American Veteran (approx. 0.3 miles away); Riley County Courthouse
Also see . . .
1. History of Manhattan's Union Pacific Depot. Manhattan/Riley County Preservation Alliance website entry (Submitted on February 12, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Union Pacific Depot. Flint Hills Discovery Center entry (Submitted on February 1, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2022. It was originally submitted on February 12, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 599 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on February 12, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
