West Yellowstone Oregon Shortline Terminus Historic District

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In 1927, West Yellowstone's Union Pacific station manager J. L. Amos recommended approval of new signage designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood to the Union Pacific's specifications. This plan included the construction of a stone and concrete pylon at the east end of the railroad property, north of the railroad tracks and near the park boundary. The pylon featured two terra cotta Union Pacific shields in red, white, and blue. Everyone departing from the depot or from elsewhere in Town passed by this pylon as they entered the park, reminding them of the role that the Union Pacific Railroad played in providing visitor access. The pylon remains in its original location within the Historic District, in an area now known as Dunbar Park. Visitors entering Yellowstone National Park via the West Entrance continue to pass by this monument.

2. Yellowstone Historic Center Museum (Former Union Pacific Depot)

Fascination with the Yellowstone area began with the first trappers' incredulous tales of gushing geysers and gurgling mud pots. Since being established as the world's first National Park in 1872, curious travelers have ventured from every corner of the world to experience this place called "Wonderland." Our museum, housed in the 1909 Union Pacific Depot, offers exhibits which interpret the heritage of travel to Yellowstone. The Museum features interactive displays, rare artifacts, weekly educational programs, guest speakers, daily films, and guided walking tours of the Union Pacific historic district. We invite you to join us when you visit West Yellowstone!

3. Union Pacific Old Baggage Building

In 1920, Union Pacific officials proposed constructing a separate baggage building, immediately west of the depot. Passenger traffic to the park increased, and the original baggage handling area in the east wing of the depot was no longer adequate. Also, the depot space was needed to provide additional changing rooms for the passengers. By the fall of 1921, the basic structure was completed. However, a change of plans was made which included facing the building with stone in a similar fashion to the depot. This delayed completion until 1922. The building was altered for use as the Town's police station around 1975. The original window and door openings have been maintained but have been in-filled; modern metal doors and windows have been added in some of the openings. The original roof, presumably shingle, has been replaced with a standing seam metal roof.

4. Union Pacific Stagecoach Shelter

When the Union Pacific Railroad first arrived in West Yellowstone in 1908, passengers continued their journey into Yellowstone on stagecoaches. In August 1915, cars were permitted in the park, marking the beginning of the end of stagecoach service. By 1917, cars and buses had completely replaced stagecoaches on Yellowstone's roads. At that time, tour buses began picking up train passengers at the depot. The stagecoach shelter, located between the baggage building and the dining lodge, was constructed in 1928, over a decade after the end of the stagecoach era. This structure served as a protected location for exhibiting a stagecoach. The stagecoach exhibit was a reminder of the earlier mode of visitor transportation before the rise of the automobile. Today, the structure shelters a picnic table rather than a stage coach. There are some stagecoaches on display on the porch of the former depot, now the Yellowstone Historic Center Museum, located on the east end of the same block. The stagecoach shelter is an open-sided, single-story, hip-roofed structure. The roof is supported by four full-round, unpeeled logs resting on concrete footings. The roof structure is made from peeled full-round logs, and the roof is finished with cedar wood shingles.

5. Union Pacific Dining Lodge

The beautiful Union Pacific Dining Lodge was designed by famed architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood. It was built in 1925 to serve passengers traveling to Yellowstone via the Union Pacific Railroad. Underwood was known for his rustic-style architecture, defined as a style that used native materials in proper scale, avoided rigid, straight lines, gave the feeling of having been crafted by pioneer craftsmen with limited tools, and achieved a connection to natural surroundings and to the past. Underwood's other accomplishments include the famed Ahwahnee Lodge in Yosemite National Park, the Timberline Lodge in Oregon, and the Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone. Little has been changed since this building was constructed, leaving a large, rustic space perfect for many types of events including weddings, quinceaneras, family reunions, corporate events, and more. The offices of the Yellowstone Historic Center are also housed at this address.

6. Union Pacific Oil and Generator Buildings

The generator and oil buildings were constructed around 1910. The railroad needed electricity for its West Yellowstone operations and facilities, but the closest available power was a great distance away. So the Union Pacific Railroad built its own generating plant, consisting of the oil and generator buildings. These facilities constituted the first power plant in town, and the town had access to the extra power which was generated. The initial structures matched the rock work of the depot. The generator building was soon expanded to accommodate the larger equipment needed to supply the expanding railroad facilities. A Mercedes Benz diesel generator replaced the original gas generator. In the late 1920s, Gilbert Stanley Underwood designed a new decorative cladding for both of these buildings so they would more closely resemble the Dining Lodge from which they were separated by only yards. The exterior walls were faced with bark-covered wood, and the corners were embellished with massive decorative stone piers. The original stone buildings are still there - encased by this more recent façade. The Mercedes Benz generator remains in its original location, inside the generator building.

7. Union Pacific Dormitories

The railroad operations in West Yellowstone required a great number of workers who needed to be there only in the summer months. In the early 1900s, many of these workers lived in bunk cars located on the sidings near the main lines. Eventually, the need for more permanent housing resulted in the 1925 conversion of the Oregon Short Line "Beanery" into employee housing. This was followed by the construction of a separate men's dormitory in 1927. Since 1971, the remaining structure has been used as the Town's medical clinic.

8. Union Pacific Water Tower

The original source of water for Union Pacific railroad operations in West Yellowstone was a spring located near the South Fork of the Madison River. Water was piped from the spring into town, a distance of over two miles. In 1910, the railroad built a steel water tower southwest of the depot. The tank had a 65,000 gallon capacity and was 24' in diameter and 20' high. It stood on a 50' tower. Adjacent to the tower was a pump house. Water was pumped from a well which was drilled in 1911, replacing the previously used spring water. A 10" water columnn was used to water the locomotives. There was also an underground waterline running to a horse watering trough near the depot. The exterior of the pump house was altered in the 1920s to match the façade of the Dining Lodge and other railroad facilities designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

West Yellowstone Oregon Shortline Terminus Historic District

Created by Yellowstone Historic Center on November 13th 2017, 3:04:14 pm.

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Description

The first passenger train arrived in West Yellowstone on June 11, 1908. A wooden depot and several businesses greeted the first visitors. Following the completion of the rail line, the Union Pacific Oregon Short Line turned its attention to constructing facilities for train operations and passenger care at its new terminus. This walking tour includes the old depot, baggage building, dining lodge, and more. The tour includes a stop at the Yellowstone Historic Center Museum, which is located in the old depot building.

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West Yellowstone Oregon Shortline Terminus Historic District

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