‘All Aboard’ WSU’s Whistle Stop Tour
OGDEN, Utah – As part of the Transcontinental Railroad Sesquicentennial celebration, Weber State University Special Collections presents the Whistle Stop Tour, a series of lectures and exhibits dedicated to sharing the 150-year history of the railroad coming through Ogden.
Held in collaboration with the Weber County Library and Union Station, the Whistle Stop Tour will examine the history of the transcontinental railroad. Lecture topics will include why the railroad came through Ogden, the people who worked on the railroad and the effect the railroad had on Ogden and the surrounding areas.
Lectures held in early March will commemorate the railroad reaching Ogden on March 8, 1869.
“The history of Ogden has long been tied to the railroad,” said Sarah Singh, WSU Special Collections curator. “The railroad brought jobs, ethnic diversity, tourists and changed the landscape of Ogden in a variety of ways. Even 150 years later, the railroad still impacts Ogden and the surrounding areas.”
In addition to lectures, the Whistle Stop Tour will include two exhibits. The first one will feature photographs and stories about the impact of the railroad on Ogden. This exhibit will be available throughout February at the Weber County Library Southwest Branch in Roy.
The second exhibit will highlight photographs of the Transcontinental Railroad 50th anniversary celebration parade held in Ogden in 1919. This exhibit will be on display March-April at WSU’s Stewart Library, and throughout May at Union Station.
The Whistle Stop Tour is a part of Weber Reads: The Transcontinental Railroad, presented by the Weber County Libraries.
Calendar of events:
Rising from the Rails: The Story of the Pullman Porters
Feb. 19, 7 p.m.
Weber County Library Pleasant Valley Branch (5568 Adams Ave., Ogden)
Debra Daniels and Sarah McClellan will share their families’ experiences working on the railroads as Pullman porters.
How Ogden Became the Junction City and Why Salt Lake Never Forgave Us (Weber Historical Society Lecture Series)
March 11, 7 p.m.
Weber State University Hurst Center Dumke Legacy Hall
Historian and author Val Holley will share stories and insights into the train coming to Ogden and the impact the railroad had on the city’s development from 1869 to 1900.
How Ogden Became the Junction City and Why Salt Lake Never Forgave Us
March 12, 7 p.m.
Weber County Library Southwest Branch (2039 W. 4000 S., Roy)
Historian and author Val Holley will share stories and insights into the train coming to Ogden and the impact the railroad had on the city’s development from 1869 to 1900.
Iron Ladies of the American Railroad
March 13, 7 p.m.
Weber County Library Main Library (2464 Jefferson Ave., Ogden)
WSU Special Collections Curator Sarah Singh and Union Station Museum and Program Director Holly Andrew will share stories of the hard-working women who entered the world of railroading as clerks, laundresses, engineers and more.
Iron Ladies of the American Railroad
March 19, 7 p.m.
Weber County Library Southwest Branch (2039 W. 4000 S., Roy)
WSU Special Collections Curator Sarah Singh and Union Station Museum curator and program director Holly Andrew will share stories of the hard-working women who entered the world of railroading from clerks to laundresses to engineers.
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The Train Comes to Ogden
March 28, 7 p.m.
Weber County Library Ogden Valley Branch (131 S. 7400 E., Huntsville)
Former Standard-Examiner Columnist Charles Trentelman will discuss the impact of the railroad on Ogden’s history and expansion.
Building Tracks to New Beginnings: Japanese Railroad Workers in the West
April 24, 7 p.m.
Weber County Library North Branch (475 E. 2600 N., Ogden)
Judge Raymond Uno and Lorraine Crouse, University of Utah photograph curator, will examine the stories of Japanese men who came to the United States to help build the railroad and ended up staying and establishing “Japantowns” across the West.
Chinese Migrants and the Transcontinental Railroad
May 7, 6 p.m.
Ogden Union Station (2501 Wall Ave., Ogden)
Shelley Fishkin, Stanford University English professor, will discuss her research regarding Chinese railroad workers who helped build the transcontinental railroad.
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Rails and Ales: Hell on Wheels
May 10, 7 p.m.
Union Grill (315 24th St., Ogden)
Sponsored by the Friends of the Stewart Library
Dick Kreck, retired Denver Post reporter, will discuss his book “Hell on Wheels: Wicked Towns Along the Union Pacific Railroad,” which inspired the AMC series “Hell on Wheels.”
Exhibit information:
Transcontinental Railroad and Ogden
February
Weber County Library Southwest Branch (2039 W. 4000 S., Roy)
This exhibit will feature photographs and stories that illustrate how the railroad changed Ogden from a small town into a thriving city from 1869-1960s.
Spike 50: Golden Spike Parade in 1919
March-April, Weber State University Stewart Library
May, Ogden Union Station (2501 Wall Ave., Ogden)
This exhibit will feature photographs taken during the 1919 Golden Spike parade in Ogden and will include images from local photographer Charles Maccarthy.
Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
Ross Rosier, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7948 • rossrosier@weber.edu- Contact:
Sarah Singh, WSU Special Collections curator
801-626-6337 • ssingh@weber.edu