Denver and Salt Lake Railway Depot, Hayden Colorado
- Categories:
- Colorado
- Railroad Facility
- Passenger Station
Hayden was one of the last stops on the Denver and Salt Lake Railroad when the first train arrived in 1913. The railroad brought many benefits to Routt County, both economic and social, and ended the relative isolation of the Routt County population.
The depot, currently houses the Hayden Heritage Center Museum. This depot was described by the local paper in 1916 as "an ornament to the town" and is still considered as such by the residents.
The Hayden Depot came into existence after David H. Moffat completed his colossal undertaking of building a railroad over the Continental Divide which opened up this rich northwest corner of Colorado. Hayden, a long established community in the heart of the Yampa Valley, was intended to be the half-way point between Denver and Salt Lake City on Moffat's original Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway. These plans came to an end with the death of David Moffat on March 18th, 1911, and the subsequent bankruptcy of the railroad line. The Denver, Northwestern & Pacific was reorganized on May 1st, 1913, as the Denver & Salt Lake Railroad. The first train reached Hayden on October 11th, 1913, but due to lack of funding the railroad never reached Salt Lake City, terminating instead at Craig, Colorado just 17 miles west of Hayden.
Hayden celebrated Railroad Day on October 11th, 1913, with the arrival of the first train carrying dignitaries and citizens from the upper areas of Routt County. Ezekiel Shelton displayed produce from his garden during this celebration, resulting in plans for the annual Routt County Fair, which has carried on to this day. The railroad was essential in transporting equipment, supplies, produce, and people into an area that had previously been completely isolated during long, hard winters. Before the railroad, supplies had to be freighted by teams and wagons from the Union Pacific Railroad to the north in Wyoming or the Denver & Rio Grande to the south, 150 miles either way. Prior to the railroad, the pioneers in the area of Hayden knew first hand of the hardships of isolation, traveling by stage and trailing cattle hundreds of miles to market.
Shortly after the Hayden Depot was built in 1918, local men traveled by train to various induction points for World War I. Much traffic traveled these rails over the years, with two of the large ranches on either side of Hayden having their own stockyards. With the coming of large bands of sheep, Hayden became one of the largest sheep shipping points in the United States during the 1930s. Passenger service was discontinued in 1968 and the railroad presently hauls long trains of coal from the various mines in the area.
Due to the Denver & Salt Lake roadbed being laid over the 11,600 foot Rollins Pass on the Continental Divide there were snowstorms to contend with almost three-fourths of the year. Many times snowslides caused the trains to be delayed for days, and livestock were either frozen or severely weakened on their way to market.
The Hayden Depot often had travelers camping out in the building during these storms, awaiting the train. These problems were mitigated by the 6.23 mile long Moffat Tunnel built through James Peak on the Continental Divide in 1927. Bonds for this tunnel, one of the longest in the world, were financed by taxes on the landowners of this area.
All of northwestern Colorado continues to benefit from the Moffat Road. The Hayden community and its residents continues to benefit from the depot, converted to a museum that stores and preserves the rich heritage of this area. The railroad and the nation have benefitted from the coal, oil, and agricultural products produced and shipped by rail from this colorful corner of Colorado.
The Hayden Depot was designed by Joe W. Roeschlaub, a local contractor from Craig. According The Craig Empire, October 11th, 1916, Roeschlaub also designed the Craig Depot in 1916 in a style similar to the Hayden Depot. According to the article, Roeschlaub was assistant to L. D. Blauvelt, chief engineer.
To date there is not any known connection between Joe Roeschlaub and noted Denver architect, Robert S. Roeschlaub.
Building Description
The Hayden Depot, now owned by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in Hayden Colorado, is on its original site on the south side of the historic Moffat Road. Completed in 1918, the building served the Hayden community by providing two large waiting rooms and a telegraph office for railroad patrons and housed the station agent's family in the second story apartment. The baggage room is in the one story east wing. The Hayden Depot is the last of three depots built by the Denver and Salt Lake Railroad in the Yampa River Valley. It became a source of economic importance to the community. It provided the community with a modern and efficient means of using the railroad that virtually allowed the community to expand and excel. To insure that the best depot be built, the businessmen of Hayden guaranteed $1,000 for construction costs, and the railroad officials also asked the town to improve the street and walkway leading to the depot and install electric lights near the depot.
The 83 foot by 26 foot rectangular building's foundation and small basement are made of concrete; the superstructure and chimney are constructed of brick and the hip roof is terra cotta tile. The main part of the building is two stories high; the baggage/freight room is one story. There are rectangular bays on both sides of the depot making the building somewhat wider at these points. Besides the main entrance, there is an outside entrance to the upstairs and the baggage room has sliding doors one on either side of the building. The loading dock is located on the south side of the baggage room facing the railroad tracks.
The depot has been adapted for museum use. The interior of the building remains almost original. The waiting room is divided by built-in display cases and the lower half of the large wood sash windows have been covered over to provide security. The waiting room and telegraph office have wainscoting and plaster walls; the baggage room walls are brick.
The building is in good condition, but the tile roof is deteriorated due to the harsh winter conditions. There have been minor alterations to update the plumbing; install a new furnace in 1968; a tongue and groove floor installed in the 1940s and storm windows installed in the upstairs apartment. The whole property is surrounded by a chain link fence.
