Union Station at the edge of downtown Los Angeles opened on May 4th 1939. It was a huge achievement to unify all three rail services (the Union Pacific, Santa Fe, and Southern Pacific Railroads) into one building. The project took 5 years and entailed moving Chinatown, so the opening ceremony was a big deal. I’m just not so sure why the organizers felt they needed to include a big gun in the parade. On the other hand, it was 1939 and war was looming on the European horizon. Still, it was a big day for LA and the glorious Union Station remains intact to this day.
There are a few more palm tress nowadays (February 2017):
Union Station, Los Angeles, 1940:
Downtown’s Union Station in 1939, the year it opened:
Union Station at the edge of downtown Los Angeles opened on May 4th 1939. It was a huge achievement to unify all three rail services (the Union Pacific, Santa Fe, and Southern Pacific Railroads) into one building. The project took 5 years and entailed moving Chinatown, so the opening ceremony was a big deal. I’m just not so sure why the organizers felt they needed to include a big gun in the parade. On the other hand, it was 1939 and war was looming on the European horizon. Still, it was a big day for LA and the glorious Union Station remains intact to this day.
It’s an absolutely beautiful building. I’ve always wanted to go inside the old Harvey House restaurant in Union Station.