14 Fascinating Vintage Photos of Union Station

By Riverfront Times Staff on Wed, Feb 3, 2016 at 4:39 pm

Do you remember the days when St. Louis Union Station was actually a train station and not just a dining and entertainment destination? Probably not. But we're giving you a glimpse back — way back — at this St. Louis icon's history.

Photos and information courtesy of St. Louis Union Station and stlouisunionstation.com.

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St. Louis Union Station opened on September 1, 1894.

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Theodore C. Link, a St. Louis architect and former railroader, designed Union Station. His design included three main areas: the Headhouse, the Midway and the Train Shed.

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It took $6.5 million to build.

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At the time, St. Louis Union Station was the largest terminal in the country.

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The Midway served as the midpoint where people greeted and bid farewell to passengers.

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It saw 100,000 passengers every day during its hey day in the mid-1940s.

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People began increasingly using alternative modes of transportation following World War II.

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Remember that photo of President Harry Truman holding The Chicago Tribune's inaccurate headline was taken at Union Station in November 1948. The president had stopped in St. Louis on his way from his hometown of Independence, Mo. to Washington, D.C.
Photo courtesy of the the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library.

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