Santa Fe Depot - Norman, Oklahoma - Train Stations/Depots on Waymarking.com

A marker on the building gives the history of this depot, reads:

Santa Fe Depot

Norman, Oklahoma

In 1866, the United States signed treaties with the Creek and Seminole Nations and acquired land in central Indiana Territory that would later be called the Unassigned Lands. In 1870, the U.S. Land Office contrated for the area to be surveyed. The Norman vicinity was surveyed between 1871 and 1873. Among the contractor’s team was young Abner E. Norman for whom the surveyor’s field camp was named.

On July 4, 1884, President Chester A. Arthur authorized the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company to build a railroad across Indian Territory. In the early stages of railroad construction, the proposed station grounds for the Norman area were referred to as “Dugout” because of the existing dugouts at the old surveyor’s campsite (Norman’s Camp) located on today’s Bishop Creek.

At approximately 1:00 pm on June 13, 1887, the first northbound passenger train passed Norman Station. On July 4, 1887, a boxcar equipped with telegraph instruments was placed on the railroad siding with the name “Norman” displayed on the outside. When the Unassigned Lands were opened by run for settlement on April 22, 1889, Norman was selected by railroad engineer, Charles Chamberlin, to become the site for the new town of Norman.

The present depot was built in 1909 and served the city continuously until passenger service ended in 1979. During the 1980’s a concerned group of citizens oversaw restoration of the depot. The depot was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on January 25, 1991. In 1999, the depot resumed its original use when passenger service was restored to Norman.

City of Norman Historic District Commission and Norman Depot, Inc., June 13, 1999.

Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: Yes Is the station/depot open to the public?: Yes If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?: It is also used as an art gallery What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: AmTrak Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/13/2021 MARTES visited it 02/27/2021 TerraViators visited it 02/13/2021 The Snowdog visited it 01/24/2021 psteelman1 visited it 06/24/2016 vulture1957 visited it 08/23/2013 hamquilter visited it 02/06/2010 Max and 99 visited it

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