Flagstaff Depot: then and now

1926 vs 2015 · Flagstaff, AZ

NowThen

Then, 1926A colored postcard of the brick depot with a steep roof, and a steam train waiting on the tracks.Photo: Unknown publisher (postcard) · Public domain · Source · resized, cropped

Today, 2015The same depot with its green roof, chimney and Amtrak sign, seen from the sidewalk on a cloudy day.Photo: Steven C. Price · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source · resized

The story

The first rail station in Flagstaff was built in 1886 by the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. That wooden depot burned down and was replaced in 1889 by a stone building that still stands. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe built the present depot in 1925, and a public celebration was held on January 5, 1926.

The first trains used the new depot on January 6, 1926. Across San Francisco Street at 101 East Route 66 is the 1889 solid red sandstone depot that the 1926 one replaced. It became a freight depot afterward.

Amtrak took over passenger service on May 1, 1971 and runs the station from the 1926 depot, which also holds the Flagstaff Visitor Center. The Southwest Chief stops here daily.

Did you know? The 1889 stone depot still stands across the street.

Historians argue about this. Many people assume a new station tears down the old one. Wikipedia says the 1889 depot still stands across the street.

Fact or tall tale?

SolidThe present Santa Fe depot opened in 1926.
Wikipedia: public opening on January 5, 1926.
Not trueThe first Flagstaff depot, from 1886, was built of stone.
Wikipedia says that first depot was wood and burned down.

Sources

More: Look for historic photos at the Library of Congress

Stamp it in person

Go there, answer the question that only someone standing at Flagstaff Depot can answer, and add the stamp to your passport. Free, no sign-up.

Play Flagstaff

More in Flagstaff

Next: Weatherford Hotel. Written from the cited sources, not yet walked on site unless noted.