Union Station's 90th coming down the track

I really love this picture. It's so festive.

So fun. And so real.

No kidding, it really happened. The image may be a bit romanticized, but not much. Real pictures of the event are similar.

Ogden's Union Station burned down in February of 1923. After some initial reluctance, the railroads that used the station agreed to build new and set to it.

A little more than a year later, in November of 1924, they were done. Anyone else think that feat could not be duplicated today for any amount of money?

Me neither.

There was a huge hoo-ha for the dedication, of course. Speeches were made, music was played, everyone partied and, at some point, a steam engine attempting to get to the festivities allegedly got into trouble and needed help.

So some women of the city attached ribbons to the engine and pulled it in.

A photograph was taken, of course. Probably many. One of them was seen by the artist for La Domenica del Corriere, a Milanese newspaper that was famous, until it died in 1989, for its vividly colored front page illustrations of news events.

It ran the picture on Jan. 25, 1925, and its publication in Italy is an indication of just what a big deal the new train station in Ogden, Utah, was back then. Ogden was a major rail hub, nationally famous and important.

And it's also a darn fun picture.

The image is one we're having made into posters for sale at Union Station as part of our 90th anniversary celebration this year. You can already buy it on a tea towel in the station souvenir shop.

We're celebrating the birthday on May 10 so folks don't freeze in a November blizzard, but feel free to come down any time.

If you take this picture and go around back, looking north on the rear platform, you can stand just about the same place where this picture was taken.

We're happy to provide the station.

Ribbons and pretty girls are your job.