Kansas City’s Union Station

Do you remember the golden age of train travel? When train stations were the center of commerce and the hub of activity in America? Every summer my family would travel by train from Ames, IA to Ogden, UT to visit our grandparents. As as result, I am forever nostalgic about train stations and this bygone era of travel. I thought it fitting to take a look at the train station in my adopted home town of Kansas City.

Union Station has been an iconic landmark in Kansas City for the past one hundred years. When the former railroad depot was consumed by the flood of 1903, railroad executives decided it was time for a new station on higher ground in a central location. Enter Chicago architect Jarvis Hunt, chosen to design the new station in the beaux-arts style, popular in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. On October 30, 1914 the new station opened to the public. Kansas City had a beauty. The cost was six million dollars. Rail traffic peaked during WWI with over 79,000 trains including 271 in one day.

On June 17, 1933 Union Station was the scene of a botched gangster snatch. Bank robber Frank Nash was being escorted back to Leavenworth Prison (after escaping) when three men appeared with machine guns surrounding the feds car in an attempt to grab Nash. Blasts from the machine guns and return fire from the federal agents ended in the deaths of four lawmen and Nash. It became known as the Union Station Massacre. It was gory, it was public, it was cold-blooded, and it prompted J. Edgar Hoover to beg for Congress to act. Nine major anti-crime bills were passed in less than a year.

The peak years of train travel were during the 40’s (shown above) especially after WWII when troops were returning home. Tickets sold at Union Station declined in the early 50’s. This gradual decline continued through the 70’s with the increase in air travel. In1983 the station closed with Amtrak leaving in 1985. The station fell into disrepair.

It wasn’t until 1996 that voters approved a tax to restore Union Station. It was a hefty undertaking. By 1999 the station reopened with shops, restaurants, theaters, exhibits (Titanic, King Tut) and Science City. Amtrak returned as well.

Union Station, once slated for demolition, has been restored to its former glory. The story of its restoration deserves more attention than I can give here. It was accomplished with much effort after pains taking research. If you’re an architect, you’d enjoy digging into the details

The Ames depot typified the small town stations that were built across America as the railroad system came of age in the late 1800’s-early 1900’s. They were not as grand as the big city terminals but functional and vital in connecting the transcontinental railroad system.

Ames became a town because the railroad designated it as a stop and built a station there in 1865, pictured in the top undated photo. No longer functioning as a train station, in more recent years it has hosted the farmers’ market and housed a gift shop.

What happened to the train station in your town or city? Has it been torn down or repurposed? I think it’s worth the effort to save these buildings when feasible and incorporate them into the 21st century. Grand like Union Station or modest like the Ames station, they represent a rich part of American history that is important to remember.

In closing I have a request. If you’ve read Lila’s Journey and are so inclined, I would greatly appreciate a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Just go to the book page, scroll down on the left and leave a sentence or two or simply click the stars. Either way, reviews are the lifeblood of books. Thank you, friends.

Happy Spring.! Until next time . . .