Snoqualmie Depot - Snoqualmie, Washington
N 47° 31.724 W 121° 49.532
10T E 588404 N 5264591
The Snoqualmie Depot, constructed in 1890 in less than 90 days, is the oldest continuously operating train station in the State of Washington.
Waymark Code: WM4Q5M
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 09/18/2008
Views: 35
From the Northwest Railway Museum information newspaper -
As you walk around Snoqualmie, you'll learn how railroads played a huge role in developing the Pacific Northwest. You can spend half an hour or several hours. Begin your stroll at the Snoqualmie Depot for a glimpse of Snoqualmie 100 years ago.
Before railroads reached the Pacific Northwest in the 1870s, this part of the country wasn't very accessible. Railroads made it easier to move people, food, supplies, animals, equipment, raw materials and finished products. Investors planned the town of Snoqualmie in 1889. That's the year the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway (SLS&E) connected this area with Seattle. In addition to members of the Snoqualmie Tribe, a few European settlers lived here before the railroad came. They grew hops, they mined, and they logged. But the railroads brought an influx of people. Eventually European settlers edged out most of the Snoqualmies without setting aside land for them in the Snoqualmie Valley. The federal government recognized the few remaining Snoqualmies as a tribe in 1999.
The Snoqualmie Depot was built in 1890. It's the oldest continuously operating train station in the State of Washington. It's the centerpiece of Snoqualmie's commercial district. That was common in early towns. But Snoqualmie is the only community in the Valley where this is still the case. The Snoqualmie Depot is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a King County and a City of Snoqualmie Landmark.
The bay window enabled the station agent to see trains approach. The curved room at the north end of the depot (today's Depot Bookstore) used to be the men's waiting room. The middle room was the ladies waiting room. In Victorian times, it wasn't proper for women traveling alone to mingle with men. Look for the ticket window that served each waiting room.
The other half of the depot used to be one large freight room. Railroads carried almost everything, including flour, nails, mail and even a drill press. The Snoqualmie Depot was the town's transportation and communication center. The SLS&E shortened the travel time between Seattle and Snoqualmie from two days to two hours. The railroad brought many tourists to Snoqualmie Falls.
Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: Yes
Is the station/depot open to the public?: Yes
If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?:
It is a museum with a gift shop and does train rides.
What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: Northwest Railway Museum; Burlington Northern Railroad; Northern Pacific Railway; Seattle & International Railroad; Puget Sound & Snoqualmie Valley Railway; Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway
Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the station/depot taken while you were there. Please also record how you came to be at this station/depot and any interesting information you learned about it while there.