[2] On March 8, 1869, the UP laid tracks through Ogden on its way to Promontory Summit, where it would meet the CP and complete the First transcontinental railroad across the United States.

Despite the famous Golden spike ceremony that marked the completion of the rail line, both railroad companies knew that Promontory was too remote of a location to house the important junction point between their respective operations, and the decision was made to build the depot farther east down the line towards the larger populated cities of north-central Utah.

Three cities near this location - Corinne, Uintah, and Ogden - competed with each other for the opportunity to house the facilities that they knew would serve as a major transit hub for cross-country travelers, who would have to transfer trains between the two different railroads.

Corinne emerged as an early frontrunner for the junction, but The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - whose members made up much of Utah's settler population at this time - did not want their territory to be represented by what was then a Hell on Wheels railroad town full of bars and brothels.

In addition to the UP and CP, this station also became the terminal for the Utah Central Railroad that connected with the territorial capital of Salt Lake City to the south, the Utah and Northern Railway which ran into the northern regions of the territory (present-day Idaho), and the Rio Grande Western (RGW) railroad which ran farther to the south before connecting across the mountains to Colorado.

Local newspapers complained about, among other things, the need to walk a quarter-mile of wood boardwalk over swampy ground to reach the station.

Considerably larger than the original station and constructed of brick, it held 33 hotel rooms, a restaurant, barbershop, and other conveniences for travelers.

In 1923, a fire that began in a hotel room destroyed the station's interior and left the walls and clock tower in a fragile state.

Due to her efforts, no deaths or injuries occurred, and work continued inside the first floor to some extent, but construction on a new building did not start until a stone from the clock tower fell and struck a railroad clerk.

One of these shots, showing 13 young women pulling the first train to arrive at the station by ribbons, made its way into the La Domenica del Corriere, an Italian newspaper, with the headline "Curious American Custom".

The city and depot became an important stopover point for soldiers and materials being moved across the country for the war effort, and many new businesses popped up on nearby 25th Street to entertain and support the huge influx of travelers.

[11] Rail traffic began to decline sharply after WWII ended in 1945, owing mainly to the newfound popularity of both the airline industry and increasing accessibility of automobiles for the average traveler and commuter.

Ogden had been highly reliant on the railroad industry for almost all of its existence, and the sharp declines in traffic were having major economic impacts on local businesses and residents.

On December 7, 1971, the Ogden City Council sent a formal letter to the UP asking that the station building be donated to them for conversion to a museum and convention center.

This spurred a series of donations by the UP through the years, leading to an extensive collection of locomotives and rolling stock being displayed on the station grounds.

[12] In 1995, UP and SP received permission from the Interstate Commerce Commission to merge their companies, and the OUR&D was finally dissolved sometime shortly after this date.

If the sale is completed, Ogden City will fully own both the station and the land that it sits on, and has plans to develop the area.

It plays host to various conventions and events, including the annual Hostlers Model Railroad Festival, weddings, Ogden Marathon Expo, craft and bridal fairs.

[7] Currently the Mail Terminal Annex houses the Browning-Kimball Classic Car Museum and the Browning Theatre, which is often rented out for events such as craft fairs, the Ogden Farmers Market, and weddings.

[14] However, in 2019 disputes about the locomotive's ownership and restoration practices arose between the volunteers, the State of Utah, and the Ogden City Council, who proceeded to lock out the RLHS from the facility and informed them that they were no longer welcome to continue working at the Union Station.

Ogden officials cited safety concerns about the handling of materials as their reason for locking out the volunteers, and also sent a request to the State asking that ownership of the locomotive be transferred to them.

The State government has not yet responded to this request, saying instead that they intend to move the locomotive to a new museum in Salt Lake City where the restoration work could be completed.

The locomotive is currently disassembled, with most of the pieces still locked inside the trainmen's building, except for the boiler which sits outside near the passenger platform.

The laundry operations at Union Station date to 1906, when they were carried out in the commissary building (now demolished, on the site of the current Spencer S. & Dolores Dore' Eccles Rail Center).

[32] It was originally donated to Salt Lake City in 1972, and when transferred to Ogden in 1999 it obtained the distinction of being the largest locomotive in the United States to be moved by truck.

Owned previously by Doyle McCormack and kept at the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation where it was painted as a Nickel Plate Road locomotive.

However, Ogden and the Pioneer were not included in Amtrak's "Connects US" plan, which details how the corporation wishes to expand their rail service between 2020 and 2035.

They did this to avoid potentially losing the station if UP decided to sell the land privately after the end of their initial lease agreement.

As part of the purchase, Ogden City presented extensive plans to redevelop the area around the station into a downtown business and tourist hub.

a 180-day feasibility study underway to make sure Ogden City is willing to undertake the cost and labor of environmental cleanup in the station area before they could begin developing it.