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History of the Great Overland Station
 The Building
Designed by renowned architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the
beautiful Union Pacific passenger station was reported to be "one of
the finest passenger stations on the line" when it opened January
27, 1927. With its 34-foot ceiling and ornate glazed terra cotta
ornamentation, the elegant building is perhaps the finest
representation of classic railroad architecture in Kansas.
The last passenger train
left the station May 2, 1971. The building was later remodeled for
railroad offices, abandoned in 1988, and damaged by fire in 1992. At
that point, Railroad Heritage, Inc. secured a lease from the Union
Pacific Railroad to prevent the building's demolition. A Use and
Feasibility Study indicated that a museum celebrating railroad
heritage was the most desirable use for the station, and a Capital
Campaign Assessment demonstrated that funds could be raised to that
end. On July 2, 1998, the Union Pacific Corporation formally donated
the station to Topeka Railroad Days, Inc. The Great Overland Station
Project Team was established to direct efforts to preserve the
station and transform it into a railroad heritage museum. In June
2004, The Great Overland Station opened its doors again as a
community landmark.
 The
Site
The station was built on a site already rich in history. Here, the
Pappan brothers ferried Oregon Trail pioneers across the Kaw River,
while Indian Chief Burnett traded supplies and horses with the
sojourners. Slaves seeking their freedom crossed here on their way
north along the "underground railroad." Future Vice President
Charles Curtis, grandson of Louis Pappan, was born on a corner of
the property. George Armstrong Custer, Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill
Hickok were frequent visitors to the bustling frontier community on
the north bank of the river. The area from the river front through
the North Topeka business district contains historic buildings,
largely original and intact. The early history of our community
survives in North Topeka, waiting to be brought to life.
The Railroads
 Railroads
have been the heart of Kansas since our earliest days. The Union
Pacific, Eastern Division, brought the first train service to Topeka
on New Year¹s Day, 1866. Cyrus K. Holliday, a founder of Topeka,
envisioned a railroad reaching all the way to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
His dream of tracks to the west took root when the Atchison, Topeka
& Santa Fe Railway turned the first spade of dirt near 4th and
Washington Streets in Topeka on October 30, 1868. The Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific Railroad and the Missouri Pacific Railroad also
came through Topeka. The fact that these four principal railroads
served a town of our size makes Topeka unique, and it is appropriate
that The Great Overland Station represents the heritage of all the
railroads which have crossed our city and state.
Although railroading has changed
drastically since its heyday, Topeka remains the center of several
vital operations of the Burlington Northern Sante Fe and a key link
in the Union Pacific system. Topeka was and still is a railroad
town. |
