After being done with Wyoming I had a day to spare and instead of exploring more of SLC decided to hit up Ogden, UT. I had a friend that lived there that would meet me up after work but first…a day of exploring.
Let’s start off with a bit of history. Where did the name come from?
The city took many names as it changed hands from pioneers to mormon settlers. It was Brigham Young himself who had strongly suggested the name designating a famous trapper. Ironically the man himself never ever set foot in the area.
When the transcontinental railroad was built connecting the Central Pacific (Sacramento) and Union Pacific (Omaha), the meeting point was Promontory, UT. Ogden soon replaced Promontory as a junction point because the infrastructure in Promontory was crude facilities and experienced frequent delays. Ogden soon became the connecting point for nine different rail systems quickly establishing it as the shipping, manufacturing, and finance capital of Utah.
This prominence brought along with it some unsavory characters to town. In fact it was considered one of the most dangerous places in the nation in the 1920s. It was too wild for crime boss Al Capone himself. Prostitution, liquor and gambling were rampant, and with those vices came violence.
Its definitely cleaned up its act since then and even made it #19 of 25 coolest towns in America
Below is the sign that greets you as you enter Ogden. It is referred to as the “Ogden River Bridge Sign,” and was put out in 1936. The wording on the sign has changed a little over the years. Below you can see “Home of Weber State University” and “Pioneer Days Week, July 24"
Speaking of rodeos below is a historic mural that advertises the annual Pioneer Days Rodeo that is held over the 24th of July each year.
Another emblem of the event is the scattering of more than 60 life-size fiberglass horses designed and painted by the area’s finest artists throughout the city
You will come across many fantastic murals throughout the city of Ogden but the standout is the work by Don Rimx a graffiti artist I am familiar with by the works I’ve seen from him in Salem and Lynn MA. Here is a sequence of paintings on the walls of the parking garage. Each depicts an aspect of the history of Utah:
- railroad theme revisited
- Western US culture
- local jazz legend Joe McQueen. Many times you wonder why the heck the NBA team which moved from New Orleans decided to keep the Jazz name?? Turns out the only link to jazz in Utah is this guy.
- Utes, one of the indigenous tribes of the state.
- immigrants and others who came to Ogden and northern Utah and shaped the area, including Chinese railroaders and Latinos.
The first building I come across is the U. S. Post Office and Courthouse completed in 1909. Today it is apartments, office and events space.
Below is the Ogden temple. It is only the fifth temple built in Utah. It features the Angel Moroni statue at the top of its spire. The Angel Moroni symbolizes the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Below is Ogden’s tallest building, the twelve-story First Security Building built in 1926. It has been empty for years.
Nearby you have the Lotus/Keisel building. Built in 1913 by Fred J. Kiesel, the building housed several commercial activities. It has recently been renovated by Lotus a SLC development company
Another building to marvel is the Ben Lomond Hotel built in 1927. It is one of three “grand hotels” in Utah, of which only two are still standing. The other one is the Hotel Utah seen in SLC.
Ogden/Weber Municipal Building built in 1939 to this day still doing local governmental activity.
James V. Hansen Federal Building (1965). The building’s location was set by the city’s urban renewal policy and the desire to improve an area of town that was viewed as blighted. The newly built federal building contributed to Ogden’s revitalization of the downtown core.
Other than the fiberglass horses, another circulating theme around the city is figurative bronze sculpture of children performing activities like this one below of a pitcher and a batter. You find that within Ogden Park
So we are on 25th St, Ogden’s famous St right off the railroad depot where all the action from prostitution, drugs, gambling took place. Today it is just a bustling street with hip eateries and storefronts. A signage that stands out is that of the Star Noodle Dragon featured in the Blade runner movie flick
You will see that another nickname given to the street is 2-Bit Street. It is a moniker derived from its real name and a reference to prostitution, one of its most prosperous businesses.
More vintage signs!!
Lighthouse Lounge built in 1910 has experienced with paranormal activity — these days its a selling point not a detriment. The bar itself once was a brothel.
Hearth on 25th is your run of the mill farm to table establishment acting like a speakeasy.
Windsor Hotel built in 1908. Originally served as temporary housing for railroad workers. At the turn of this century, the building became low-income housing. Today its commercial space on the ground floor and upscale residential units on the upper floors
Royal hotel built in 1914 filled a similar role. Because of segregation and the lack of equal housing opportunities, it became a hotel designated for the black community.
Next you may ask about ghost signs, is there any in Ogden? Your in for a treat. Below are a couple I came across:
Lee Rider Jeans featuring a bucking horse (kind of faded below)
The eponymous Coca Cola sign:
For kicks a local artist decided to come up with a modern take of it as a mural with fresh paint
Here is another old one advertising Pabst beer
Below is a building with signage revealing American Food Stores but is really was is deemed the Scowcroft Warehouse. Built in 1906 it was for regional produce and dry goods and employed close to 300 people. Today it houses the IRS
I finally now take you to Union Station (1924) the hub of transcontinental railroad traffic for a little more than 50 years. It is now home to several museums and serves as a meeting place for special events:
I did not get a chance to explore these museums but there were some interesting artifacts in the premises outside like the water tower, a black locomotive, and a rather obscure token of gratitude from the French for America’s support in World War II. The Merci Train comprised 49 French railroad boxcars filled with tens of thousands of gifts from at least that many individual French citizens. The train arrived via ship in New York harbor on 1949 and each of the 48 states at that time received one of the gift-laden boxcars.
