Eugene, OR (EUG)

Ticket Revenue

FY 2011

$5,579,349

Station Ridership

FY 2011

112,528

Note: Fiscal year is from
October through September.

Eugene’s masonry station, one of five such remaining along the original Southern Pacific Railroad west coast line, was built in 1908 for the Southern Pacific Railroad; it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 16, 2008. Both the depot and the park that originally surrounded it were part of the City Beautiful movement of the early 20th century.

The brick structure is the third built on the spot: in 1908, with the city booming, local business leaders lobbied Southern Pacific to build a new, fancier station. The depot was build as an amalgam of several styles, though it consists of simple forms and is designed for utility. Its low horizontal appearance, wide eave overhangs, large wooden brackets, tall double-hung windows and diamond-paned dormers are reminiscent of the Craftsman style. The red brick construction and semi-circular bay window facing the track are characteristic of the Richardson Romanesque style of station. The city and the railroad shared the $40,000 cost of this project.

Southern Pacific sold the building to the Jenova Land Company in 1993 and in 2003 the city of Eugene bought the depot and the office/bunkhouse as part of a plan to develop a regional transportation center. The city oversaw the 2004 $4.5 million restoration with $3.5 million in federal money. Workers restored the exterior brickwork and trim and gutted and renovated the 5,346-square-foot interior, installing tile floors, oak and fir trim, covered ceilings, new wooden benches and expanded bathrooms.

Eugene lies in the southern part of the Willamette Valley in northwest Oregon, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers. Before the first European settlers arrived, it was occupied by the Kalapuya tribe, who were hunters and gatherers. The first cabin in what became Eugene was raised in 1846 by Eugene Franklin Skinner, and served as a general trading post and later, post office. Eugene City was platted and recorded in 1852; however, after heavy winter rains, it earned the name of “Skinner’s Mud Hole.” A revised town plat was made in 1853 on higher ground.

As soon as settlers arrived—the fertile Willamette Valley being the desired endpoint of the Oregon Trail—so did industry; and lumber, woolen and flour mills were established along the Willamette River. Eugene City was incorporated in 1862. However, the town is best known for being the home of the University of Oregon. Columbia College, founded in 1872, fell victim to two major fires in two years. When the legislature created the university, Eugene bested nearby Albany in competition for locating the university, and it was built on donated hilltop land in the city, opening on October 16, 1876. The former location of Columbia College is now part of the university.

Eugene and the University of Oregon are noted for their diversity, liberal attitudes and community inventiveness. This city is also noted for its large communities of artists and outdoor enthusiasts, as the weather is mild and Mediterranean.

Amtrak provides both ticketing and baggage services at this facility.

Eugene is served by six daily trains.