The Pueblo Union Depot is one of the finest railroad depot stations west of the Mississippi River.  Designed by Frank V. Newall of the Chicago firm of Sprague and Newall, it was planned to accommodate heavy traffic.  Built under the supervision of James A. McGonigle, the Richardsonian Romanesque style building was completed in 1890.
 


 


 

      Fred Harvey claimed that it was a snowstorm that slowed the opening day excursion train to celebrate the opening
of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad that led President Nickerson to accept his proposal to build the Harvey Houses.  Pueblo was not on the main line and the Pueblo Harvey House closed circa 1888.

     The depot originally served five railroads:

  • The Denver & Rio Grande

  • Texas and Fort Worth

  • Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific

  • Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe

  • The Missouri Pacific.

    

 


 


 

     In 1892,the Union Depot handled 18,615 passenger trains or 51 trains a day, 164,718 pieces of baggage, and sold 103,114 tickets worth $568,639 were sold. 

     By 1917, the depot had a restaurant utilizing 33 waitresses, its' own bakery. And served approximately 160,000 passengers that year.

 

The depot was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 1, 1975.