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(rshsdepot) Antonito, Colorado
UP News Release=2E=2E=2E
Union Pacific Donates Historic Depot to Antonito, Colorado
Denver, CO, August 12, 2002 =96 Union Pacific Railroad announced=20
today it will transfer ownership of the historic Antonito, Colo=2E=20
rail depot to local officials at a ceremony at 1:00 p=2Em=2E August=20
16 in the southern Colorado community=2E
Constructed in 1880 for the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad (which=20
subsequently merged with Southern Pacific Railroad in 1989 and=20
eventually became part of UP in 1996), the depot is unique in=20
being built out of locally quarried lava rock=2E Passenger service=20
on a regular basis ceased in 1951, and the depot was little more=20
than a local curiosity until its listing in 1999 by the Great A
merican Station Foundation as one of the nation's most endangered=20
depots=2E
Local community officials, led by Antonito Town Trustee Roger=20
Romero and the board of trustees, began negotiations with Union=20
Pacific, and ultimately the railroad agreed to donate the depot,=20
with the only requirement that the city put up a fence along the=20
side of the property nearest the railroad tracks, as a safety=20
measure=2E
Richard M=2E Hartman, Union Pacific special representative in=20
Colorado, said, "We are very pleased that we and the people=20
of Antonito could reach agreement on this project and save=20
what is obviously a local landmark and historic treasure=2E"
Union Pacific, largest railroad in North America, operates=20
approximately 1,600 miles of track in Colorado and has a s
tatewide workforce of nearly 1,500=2E Headquarters for the=20
railroad's Colorado operations are in Denver, and other=20
major facilities are located in Pueblo and Grand Junction=2E
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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org
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