[7] The large brick structure was built to accommodate a 400% population boom in the area from 1900 to 1914.

The station faced 14 hotels along Tower Avenue, as well as 5 theaters and 8 banks in the downtown core.

[8] NP later merged into the Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) in 1970, and Amtrak began operating passenger rail service on the Seattle–Portland route on May 1, 1971.

Amtrak trains initially did not stop in Centralia, but were added during a service change on July 12, 1971.

[9] The demise of NP, coupled with increased automobile traffic on Interstate 5 saw the Centralia Union Depot deteriorate, much as the city's downtown core was experiencing economic decline.