Ballpark District in Denver in Denver County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
When the Depot Became a Station
1914
to the Hoover Dam, to the dredging of our ports and
building of our most historic bridges – our American
ancestors prioritized growth and investment
in our nation’s infrastructure.”
Cory Booker, 2012
By 1914, with daily traffic volume rocketing, the Denver Union Terminal Railway commissioned a new design to update and expand the Union Depot into a modern train station. The Improvements required more land, new viaducts, new underground tunnels to move packages and passengers efficiently between the station and tracks, as well as raising the track levels to present elevation.
The north side passenger subway tunnel, located directly beneath this marker, measured 25 feet wide, 8 feet high, and 250 feet long. Tiled in white subway bricks, it had green wooden ticket boxes and green metal gate signs announcing destinations and departure times. The passenger tunnel was demolished in 2011 to make room for the new bus concourse. Two other tunnels were filled in after the end wings of the buildings were removed in 1988.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.
Location. 39° 45.218′ N, 105° 0.014′ W. Marker is in Denver, Colorado, in Denver County. It is in the Ballpark District. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Wynkoop Street and 17th Street. Marker is located in the pedestrian walkway on the backside of Union Depot, (the northwest side), near where the trains and tracks run today. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1701 Wynkoop Street, Denver CO 80202, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Union Station (within shouting distance of this marker); The People of the Station (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Welcome to Union Station (about 300 feet away); Union Station Timeline (about 300 feet away); Union Station Area (about 300 feet away); Denver City Railway Building (about 400 feet away); Edward W. Wynkoop (about 400 feet away); Warehouses (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Denver.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Denver Union Station
Also see . . .
1. Denver Union Station: Early 20th century.
In 1912, the original Union Depot partnership was dissolved and replaced by the Denver Terminal Railway Company, representing the then-major operators of the station (the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, the Colorado & Southern, the Union Pacific, and the Denver & Rio Grande Western railways). The new partnership decided to demolish and rebuild the central portion of the station to handle the increasing passenger traffic. The new central portion, designed by Denver architects Gove & Walsh, was built in the Beaux-Arts style and opened in 1914. (Submitted on June 11, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Birth of the California Zephyr.
In 1937 Western Pacific, The Denver & Rio Grande Western, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, and the Missouri Pacific were actively engaged in modernizing passenger service on the San Francisco-Chicago, Denver-St. Louis routes. With the prospect of entering World War II, the project was temporarily deferred and eventually abandoned. When the end of the war was in sight, the plans for such a daily train were revived and, on October 16, 1945 the executives of the three railroads met in Denver and signed the agreement that would give birth to a new, streamlined train. While the agreement signed on this day would become known as the “President’s Agreement”, it should be recognized as the official day the California Zephyr was born. (Submitted on June 11, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 10, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 263 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 10, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.