Crowds paid 10 cents each to see the inside of the new building. During the dedication, the citizens marveled at the blue and white decorations, ate ice cream and confections and twirled across a platform reserved as a dance floor.
Union Station is the subject of this week's update to the Then & Now photo feature, which explores past and present views of notable Dayton locations.
During the first 30 years the new station was open, as many as 66 passenger trains served Dayton daily, according to the Dayton Railway Historical Society website.
»»Photos: Union Station a bustling train hub for Dayton
Automobiles and airplanes eventually became the desired mode of transportation in the country, and fewer people rode the rails. The station began downsizing in the 1960s.
Demolition of the depot began in 1964 to make way for the extension of Sixth Street. Over the next 25 years, the remaining station downsized and structures were razed bit by bit.
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