Amanda Jones Amanda Jones

Union Depot Station Mural 

The Union Depot, located at 61 Ionia, was the heart of the city from the 1890s through 1960s. An icon of Grand Rapids, people from all walks of life, whether going or leaving, passed through the Depot as they were arriving and immigrating into Grand Rapids. A Georgian Revival building of two stories, it was built in 1900, closed in 1958 and demolished over 1958 and 1959 to make space for a highway. It was a hub serving a few railroads going to different points in Michigan and the Midwest.  
Between 1947-1973, Urban Renewal policies and post-war reconstruction began sweeping through urban neighborhoods. The State of Michigan built US-131 through downtown, demolishing hundreds of buildings and relocating more than 1,000 people. The railroad depot, train shed and many of the area’s single-family homes were demolished to make way for the on and off ramps. The demolition of so many buildings displaced some of the neighborhood’s population causing people to move west along Bridge Street or to South Division Avenue. 

Union Station Deeper Dive

The Union Station Depot and railroads traveling through and up to stops like Petosky and Mackinaw City played a central role in the development of northern Michigan. Previously, stage coaches and even early cars had difficulty navigating the rough terrain that often comprised early roads connecting lower and upper Michigan. Aside from carrying people, many of these trains transported the supplies and infrastructure necessary to develop houses other buildings into present day northern Michigan towns. These steam-powered locomotive trains were the big players for travel up until about the mid 20th century, when competition from the growing automobile, bus, and airplane industries began to dominate travel, and train routes were gradually reduced and cancelled.   
The train shed was 112 feet wide and 600 feet long, with a gable-style roof that was 56 feet at its highest point. Support came from the intricate network of 31 iron trusses and girders that sat at large stone pillars at 30-foot intervals. Final construction on the shed portion of the station was completed in July of 1890. An operational report from 1905 estimated that roughly 1,000 passenger tickets were sold each day, with 20,000 trains, 100,000 cars, and 750,000 people passing through the depot for the entirety of that year. 
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