EXHIBITS
The Utah-Idaho Central Railroad: Northern Utah’s Interurban Experience: Stations and Records
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Stations and Records
Before concluding the history of the Utah-Idaho Central, a note should be made on the impacts of the railroad on the people and cities it served and its contributions to the social and economic life of northern Utah. One set of features unique to the Utah-Idaho Central Railroad Company, and often still found in their original locations today, is the stations that were constructed to organize and maintain the operations of the U.I.C. Many authors and historians referencing the U.I.C. comment on the quality of the stations provided by the Eccles Investment Corporation from the beginning of the establishment of railroad services. With its investment in the Ogden, Logan and Idaho Railway Company, the corporation constructed a station in Logan costing $20,000. This is noted as the most impressive of a number of O.L.I. stations. Other brick stations were built in Preston, Idaho, and Lewiston, Richmond, Smithfield, Hyrum, Wellsville, Mendon, Brigham City, Willard, and Ogden, Utah.[1] Because of their high quality, many of them have outlasted the railroad itself and are used for a variety of purposes today.[2] Having first-rate stations allowed the U.I.C. to house railroad engines and cars in many different locations throughout the route of service. Repairs and maintenance were possible at three carbarns, the largest of which was located in Ogden, the others located in North Logan and Preston. Ogden’s carbarn was capable of housing every railcar owned by the company, and it contained a large workshop with tools for routine maintenance.[3]
A Few Stations During the Operation of the U.I.C.
Besides the ability to house cars and make repairs, the stations also allowed for local deliveries and shipments of manufactured and agricultural products and mail. Station agents kept daily records of freight and passenger transactions, storing that information within the secure buildings. This information provides an intimate view into the daily life of agents, railroad engineers, customers, and local businesses who all depended on the U.I.C. for reliable and secure transportation. A sample of station documents can be accessed in Special Collections & Archives at the Merrill-Cazier Library of Utah State University via the links provided on the summary page.
Some Selected Records from the Mendon and Wellsville Stations
A personal memory of the U.I.C. station in Providence[4] from Glade Davis, born December 9, 1927, in Logan, Utah: “That was a learning experience to have the opportunity to ride the old UIC back and forth to school. We would catch it down at Second West, Providence. They had a little train station and part of it was their office and part of it was where you could come in and wait. They had a little stove in there, so it did stay a little bit warm. It’s like everything else; all the older kids would get down there and get into the warm room and the younger ones would have to stay outside in the cold. It was a learning experience to know how the railroad made the connections.”[5]
The stations of the U.I.C. became gateways to new opportunities, places, and experiences for the citizens of northern Utah and Cache Valley. They shaped and influenced community life, economic endeavors, and even the hierarchy of school children seeking warmth while traveling to school on cold, wintry days. Today, they remain a fond reminder of the symbolic role the U.I.C. played in strengthening the bonds of the communities and businesses it served.
A Sample of Interesting Railroad Circulars from Station Records
